... whether reintegrative shaming is the key to controlling crime, it will be necessary to first explain the features of reintegrative shaming, with reference to its main advocate, John Braithwaite. Secondly, it would be advantageous to the purposes of this essay to examine how such techniques work in practice. Having looked at the theoretical basis and working practices of reintegrative shaming, I will then discuss both the merits and limitations of this approach, to enable an informed assessment as to whether reintegrative shaming is an effective form of crime control. A fundamental question at the heart of Braithwaite's (1989, cited in McLaughlin et al, 2003, pp. 393-99) theory of reintegrative shaming is 'why do people not commit crime?' He argues that for most well-socialized people, it is our consciences that will not allow us to perpetrate acts of wrong-doing, since if we were to even contemplate executing a harmful act, we ...

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