Adam M. Bossler

Predicting online harassment victimization among a juvenile population

Online harassment can consist of threatening, worrisome, emotionally hurtful, or sexual messages delivered via an electronic medium that can lead victims to feel fear or distress much like real-world harassment and stalking. This activity is especially prevalent among middle and high school populations who frequently use technology as a means to communicate with others. Little is known, however, whether factors linked to computer crime victimization in college samples have the same influence in juvenile populations. The article discusses a study conducted utilizing a routine-activities framework that explored the online harassment experiences among middle and high school students and recruited 434 students in a Kentucky middle and high school to complete a survey uploaded on the district server during school hours. Multiple binary logistic regression models indicate that online harassment victimization increased when juveniles maintain social network sites, associate with peers who harass online, and post sensitive information online. The implications of these findings for theorists, practitioners, and policy makers are also explored.

An Assessment of the Current State of Cybercrime Scholarship

Computers and the Internet have become a vital part of modern life across the world, affecting communications, finance, and governance. At the same time, technology has created unparalleled opportunities for crime and deviance on- and off-line. Criminological research has expanded its focus over the last two decades to address the various forms of technology-enabled crime and the applicability of traditional theories to account for offending. There is, however, a need for careful consideration of the state of the field in order to identify issues requiring further study and analysis. This study examines the current literature on virtually all forms of cybercrime and the theoretical frameworks used to address these issues. In turn, we hope to give direction to refine our understanding of criminological theory and social policies to combat these offenses.

SOCIAL LEARNING AND CYBER-DEVIANCE: EXAMINING THE IMPORTANCE OF A FULL SOCIAL LEARNING MODEL IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD

ABSTRACT Akers’ social learning theory is one of the most recognized criminological theories because of its comprehensiveness and strong empirical support. Recent research that has applied social learning theory to account for the problem of cybercrime and deviance has provided only partial examinations of the social learning process and gives little insight into the Social Structure and Social Learning (SSSL) model. This study uses structural equation modeling to assess the full social learning process and finds social learning to be a second-order latent construct that explains a large variation in cyber-deviance. In addition, the social learning process mediates the effects of race and sex on cyber-deviance. We conclude with further implications for research on both cyber-deviance and the SSSL model.

Examining the Relationship Between Routine Activities and Malware Infection Indicators

The threat of attacks enabled by malicious software, or programs used to compromise computer systems and steal information, has increased dramatically over the last two decades. There has, however, been little research considering the correlates of malware infection victimization. Thus, this study attempts to refine the existing literature on malware victimization using multiple measures for the presence of an infection and a Routine Activities framework to identify the correlates of infection in a sample of students, faculty, and staff at a southeastern university. The implications of this study for criminological theory and cybercrime research are discussed in detail.

Patrol officers' perceived role in responding to cybercrime

Purpose – Little empirical research exists regarding how local law enforcement has responded to cybercrime. This paper aims to understand: the law enforcement agencies that line officers believe should be primarily responsible for investigating cybercrime cases; their perceptions about their agencys current ability to respond to these offenses; and their beliefs regarding the best ways to improve the social response to cybercrime.Design/methodology/approach – The authors surveyed patrol officers in the Charlotte‐Mecklenburg and Savannah‐Chatham Metropolitan police departments.Findings – The authors found that officers do not believe that local law enforcement should be primarily responsible for handling cybercrime cases and they have little information on how upper management is addressing cybercrime. Officers indicated that the best strategies to deal with cybercrime were greater care taken by citizens online and improvements to the legal system.Research limitations/implications – Local law enforcement ...

Assessing the Mediation of a Fuller Social Learning Model on Low Self-Control's Influence on Software Piracy

Researchers have explored the empirical validity of linking key concepts from Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime and Akers’ social learning theory. Much of this research, however, has neither included measures of differential reinforcement and imitation nor operationalized the social learning process as a second-order latent construct as supported by Akers and other scholars. Thus, in this study, the authors used structural equation modeling to examine both the direct effect of low self-control and its indirect effect via a fuller measure of the social learning process on software piracy to improve our understanding of this specific phenomenon and to also provide further insight on the empirical validity of linking concepts from these two theories. They found that the indirect effect of self-control via the social learning process on piracy was greater than its direct effect. In addition, as levels of low self-control increased, the probability of software piracy actually decreased when controlling for the social learning process.

Exploring the Consequences of Bullying Victimization in a Sample of Singapore Youth

A substantial body of research has developed surrounding the phenomenon of bullying online and off-line among youth populations. These studies demonstrate there are significant psychological and emotional consequences for bullying victims. Researchers have not, however, explored in depth how these outcomes differ across the sexes based on the types of bullying they experience. In addition, few have explored these issues in a cross-national context to consider how variations in technological access and exposure may impact behavior. Thus, this study utilizes a nationally representative sample of youths from Singapore, a country with significant access to technology, to consider how suicidal ideation and school truancy as a consequence of bullying are correlated with bullying victimization online and off-line as well as technology use and various demographic factors. The findings indicate that bullying victimization across virtual and real spaces are significantly related to these outcomes and that there are significant differences between the sexes concerning suicidal ideation. The utility of this study for both criminal justice and mental health practitioners are examined in depth.

Examining the Mediating Effects of Social Learning on the Low Self-Control—Cyberbullying Relationship in a Youth Sample

ABSTRACT Over the last decade, researchers have conducted a significant amount of research to explore the causes and consequences of cyberbullying, where individuals use the Internet in order to send harmful and aggressive messages. Using a sample of middle and high school students in Kentucky, the current study utilized low self-control and social learning theories in an attempt to further understand why adolescents engage in cyberbullying. The binary logistic regression results suggested that components of social learning theory mediated the effect of low-self-control. The implications of this study for both criminological theory and cyberbullying research are discussed in detail.

Assessing the Risk Factors of Cyber and Mobile Phone Bullying Victimization in a Nationally Representative Sample of Singapore Youth

This study utilized routine activity theory to examine the relationships between online behaviors, target suitability, and cyber and mobile phone–based bullying victimization in a nationally representative sample of youth from nine schools across Singapore. Key measures in all three categories—access to technology, online routine behaviors, and target suitability—were significant predictors of both forms of bullying victimization. In particular, females and victims of physical bullying were more likely to experience both forms of victimization. Access to technology and online routine behaviors predicted cyber and mobile phone–based bullying victimization differently. These findings demonstrate that routine activity theory is a viable framework to understand online bullying in non-Western nations, consistent with the existing literature on Western nations.

Identifying Predictors of Unwanted Online Sexual Conversations Among Youth Using a Low Self-Control and Routine Activity Framework

The development of the Internet and computer-mediated communications (CMC), such as email and instant messaging, has transformed the lives of young people. The ability to communicate in near real time with others provides beneficial social impact, though it has also created unique opportunities for victimization. Research has focused on certain forms of sexual activity online, such as sexting, but little study has been devoted to coercion to engage in sexual conversations as a form of sexual harassment. This study examined this phenomenon in a sample of middle and high school youth in Kentucky, applying an integrated low self-control and routine activity framework. The findings demonstrated that youth who were victimized were more likely to have low levels of self-control, view pornography, have peers who engaged others in sexual conversation online, and be female. The relationship between gender and victimization was examined in depth, along with the implications of this study for our understanding of the utility of routine activity theory and the general theory of crime.