Routine Activities Theory as an Explanation of Cyberbullying

• In Event: Technology and Crime: A Routine Activities Perspective on Cyber and Online Criminal Behavior

Abstract

The issue of cyberbullying continues to be a salient concern among criminologists. As the use of internet-capable devices that allow computer mediated communication (CMC) becomes more ubiquitous, understanding the causal factors that predict both participation in and victimization by cyberbullying will become increasingly important. Routine activities theory has been successfully applied to analogous online activities (such as online harassment and cyberstalking), and provides a compelling theoretical explanation for how children engage in and are victimized by cyberbullying. To test the applicability of routine activities theory to cyberbullying, a series of logistic regression analyses examining cyberbullying victimization and offending were conducted using data from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children 2009-2010 survey. The results suggest that routine activities theory has utility in explaining this behavior. Policy implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Author

• Rebecca Malinski, Michigan State University