Crime is found in all societies, and every culture develops its own mechanisms to control and prevent it. The ways in which the different peoples of the world confront crime vary considerably. Great dissimilarities can be found in the very definitions of what constitute illegal acts and in the variety of methods used to judge and punish criminals. The ways that a society employs to confront crime often reflect the society’s political and cultural values.

Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2022. 3p.