An exploratory assessment model for preventing individual extreme violent crimes from a social control perspective—a qualitative study of four Chinese cases
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction: Individual extreme violent crimes pose a severe threat to public safety. From a social control perspective, this paper explores the dimensions of "formal control," "informal control," and "self-control". Drawing on criminological paradigms, it proposes an exploratory prevention and control evaluation model for such crimes. Methods: The model's utility is preliminarily tested through an in-depth analysis of four illustrative cases in China, exploring failures in institutional management, support ties, and self-regulation. Results: The analysis suggests that the suspects in these cases exhibited low self-regulation abilities and weak psychological adjustment when facing life challenges. These extreme crimes appeared prone to occur when informal social ties were weakened or broken, even while some forms of formal control were present. Discussion: By applying a social control framework, this study offers a new analytical tool that complements traditional, macro-level crime prevention research. Rather than providing definitive solutions, the model is intended to serve as a heuristic device for identifying systemic weaknesses, thereby promoting a more nuanced understanding of extreme violence both theoretically and empirically.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Author: Gu Anqi
Institution: Jiangsu Police Officer College
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W4416896252