An exploratory assessment model for preventing individual extreme violent crimes from a social control perspective—a qualitative study of four Chinese cases

Introduction Individual extreme violent crimes pose a severe threat to public safety. From a social control perspective, this paper explores the dimensions of “formal control,” “informal control,” and “self-control”. Drawing on criminological paradigms, it proposes an exploratory prevention and control evaluation model for such crimes. Methods The model’s utility is preliminarily tested through an in-depth analysis of four illustrative cases in China, exploring failures in institutional management, support ties, and self-regulation. Results The analysis suggests that the suspects in these cases exhibited low self-regulation abilities and weak psychological adjustment when facing life challenges. These extreme crimes appeared prone to occur when informal social ties were weakened or broken, even while some forms of formal control were present. Discussion By applying a social control framework, this study offers a new analytical tool that complements traditional, macro-level crime prevention research. Rather than providing definitive solutions, the model is intended to serve as a heuristic device for identifying systemic weaknesses, thereby promoting a more nuanced understanding of extreme violence both theoretically and empirically.