Informal Sanctions

Informal sanctions are rules or norms that are 'unwritten' and not enforced by an official authority. Informal sanctions are not laws in a legal sense, but occur regularly in society. A boycott against a business is a type of informal sanction. Shaming, ridicule, and disapproving looks are informal sanctions used by people against others in order to attempt to alter their behavior. Informal sanctions are typically the result of individual dissatisfaction rather than societal or institutional regulations.