8/16/2019 Deterrence Versus Prevention

1/2

1

Deterrence versus prevention

As mentioned earlier, prevent and deter can sometimes mean the same thing.

Deter is often used when the other party has a choice. It generally implies threatening to take anaction in response.

The police can deter a bad person from breaking the law. (The police are threatening to put

someone in jail hurt them.!

"uclear deterrence is based on mutually assured destruction. (#ou are deterring a country from

using a nuclear weapon.!

$revent can be used more generally %% the thing that is happening may not be a person or

organi&ation. $revention implies preparation.

The goalie's job is to prevent the ball from going in the goal. (#ou can't deter a ball.!

ocking your doors can prevent crime.

)sing a spellchecker can prevent typing mistakes.

*earing a condom can prevent disease transmission.

+Deter+ means to persuade threaten someone from doing something. $revent means to stop

something someone by physical or other means.

-amples /. In my classes I deter students from being rude to each other by asking them to stay

behind for 0 minutes after the lesson.

1. Teachers can prevent students from fighting in the yard at lunch time by standing in between

them.

2oth are 3uite similar. Deter means to discourage someone from doing something, and prevent

means to obstruct a person from doing something. ither one can be used in the same sentence.

*ell the main difference between a deterrence and a prevention in this situation is most easily put by saying, they are going to try to deter (persuade! Iran into stopping the research and

development of nuclear warheads and other nuclear devices. $reventing them would be

physically putting a stop to their efforts by either some how getting a )" sanction or going in by

force, which is most likely the option the )4 will use. *ell if you go by their track record.

8/16/2019 Deterrence Versus Prevention

2/2