Attempted control means an individual's overt behavior in the belief that the behavior increases or decreases the probability of some subsequent condition and that the increase or decrease is desirable. This definition differs from the conception of social control as counteraction of deviance in that it recognizes the relevance of internal behavior and focuses on attempted control rather than social control. Control could be criminology's central notion, because the vast majority of criminologists can describe their interests in terms of control. This approach has two advantages. First, it promotes restatements and facilitates a synthesis of criminological theories. Second, it greatly aids the recognition of the policy implications of criminological work. Taking control as the central notion also encourages an applied orientation in any field, although an exclusively applied orientation is conducive to sterility in any field. Nevertheless, control is a strategic concept for criminology. Although many criminologists and others tend to think of control as evil, it is an illusion to believe that any social problem can be eliminated without behavior control on a massive scale. 30 references