Crossing Boundaries Online in Romantic Relationships: An Exploratory Study of Perceptions of Impact and Predictors of Cyberstalking

• In Event: Peers, Self-control and Offending

Abstract

As technology has become an ever-present facet in the lives of young people, they have become reliant on it to form and maintain relationships. It has also helped facilitate negative relationship behaviors, including intrusive acts performed without the permission of the victim and harassing online behaviors (both otherwise known as cyberstalking). Past criminological work on cybercrime has utilized a variety of theories to provide predictors of the behaviors, with General Theory of Crime and Social Learning Theory finding a large amount of support. The present study explored the perceptions of cyberstalking offenders on their own romantic relationships of their offending behaviors utilizing General Theory of Crime and Social Learning Theory. Results indicated that low self-control is a significant predictor of perceiving a negative impact by a victim, such as breaking up the relationship or taking revenge on the offender, as offenders with low self-control do not believe their behaviors would have a negative impact. In addition, older cyberstalking offenders were more likely to believe a negative impact would occur. Conversely, there was no significant support to indicate that deviant peer association was a predictor of perception of negative impact of cyberstalking.

Authors

• Catherine Marcum, Appalachian State University

• George E. Higgins, University of Louisville

• Lisa M. Carter, Florida Southern College

• Leilani Goodmon-Riley, Florida Southern College

• Jason Nicholson, University of West Georgia