Social control refers to the diverse techniques, mechanisms, and strategies that are used by individuals, groups, institutions, and societies to prevent or regulate deviant human behaviour and to ensure conformity to established norms, rules, and laws. Social control can be informal, operating through everyday social interactions and the use of social sanctions such as disapproval, ridicule, or ostracism within families, peer groups, and communities. It can also be formal, involving the use of laws, regulations, and the authority of institutions like the police, courts, and correctional systems to enforce norms and punish deviance. The goal of social control is to maintain social order, stability, and cohesion within a society.