discourage v
1. try to prevent; show opposition to; "We should discourage this practice among our youth" [syn: deter]
2. deprive of courage or hope; take away hope from; cause to feel discouraged [ant: encourage]
3. admonish or counsel in terms of someone's behavior; "I warned him not to go too far"; "I warn you against false assumptions"; "She warned him to be quiet" [syn: warn, admonish, monish]

Discourage \Dis*cour"age\ (?; 48), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Discouraged; p. pr. & vb. n. Discouraging.] [Pref. dis- + courage: cf. OF. descoragier, F. d['e]courager: pref. des- (L. dis-) + corage, F. courage. See Courage.]
1. To extinguish the courage of; to dishearten; to depress the spirits of; to deprive of confidence; to deject; -- the opposite of encourage; as, he was discouraged in his undertaking; he need not be discouraged from a like attempt. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. --Col. iii. 21.
2. To dishearten one with respect to; to discountenance; to seek to check by disfavoring; to deter one from; as, they discouraged his efforts. Syn: To dishearten; dispirit; depress; deject; dissuade; disfavor.

Discourage \Dis*cour"age\, n. Lack of courage; cowardliness.

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Deterrence is a theory from behavioral psychology about preventing or controlling actions or behavior through fear of punishment or retribution. This theory of criminology is shaping the criminal justice system of the United States and various other countries.

Deterrence can be divided into two separate categories.

General deterrence manifests itself in policy whereby examples are made of deviants. The individual actor is not the focus of the attempt at behavioral change, but rather receives punishment in public view in order to deter other individuals from deviance in the future. This is also demonstrated in the Islamic Crime & Punishment system (Hoodoo), applied 1400 years ago, where the punishment for crimes is performed in public, and is highly deterring mainly aiming at general social deterrence.

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