Thus, the behavior of many individuals may be understood—and more readily explained—as a single phenomenon.
Social control is any process of defining and responding to deviance.
The word "behavior" is used here as it is used in the physical sciences to refer to variation.
In this sense, everything behaves, including particles, storm systems, and law.
Black's theory predicts and explains variations in legal behavior, such as why one assault results in a call to the police while another does not, or why one homicide conviction results in capital punishment while another does not.