Which term refers to the assessment of how well laws prevent crime?

• A. Social Control
• B. Government-Sponsored Agencies
• C. Effectiveness of Social Control
• D. Agencies

Answer: (C)

Evaluating how well laws prevent crime centers on measuring how well social control works. Social control covers the ways society regulates behavior, including formal legal rules enforced by police and courts and informal norms. To describe the act of assessing whether these laws actually prevent crime, the term that fits best is the one that explicitly addresses how effective these mechanisms are. It highlights outcomes like crime reduction, deterrence, and compliance, not just the existence of controls or the organizations involved. The other options talk about social control in general or about agencies, which describe components rather than the assessment of their success.