What are Agencies of Social Control?

• A. Tools used for surveillance.
• B. Organizations enforcing laws and societal norms.
• C. The individuals who commit crimes.
• D. Guidelines for social behavior.

Answer: (B)

Agencies of social control are organized bodies that regulate behavior by enforcing laws and societal norms. They include formal institutions like the police, courts, and the penal system, which apply legal sanctions, as well as informal ones such as schools, families, religious groups, and the media that shape expectations and respond to deviance through social pressure. This shows that social control operates through structured organizations with authority, not just individual actions or abstract guidelines. The other options miss the organizational aspect: surveillance tools are methods used within these agencies, not the agencies themselves; the individuals who commit crimes are the subjects of control, not the controlling bodies; and guidelines for social behavior describe norms rather than enforcement organizations.