Online Versus Offline Crime: Mapping Young People's Experiences in Digital and Physical Worlds

• In Event: New Insights into Youth Crime in a Digital World: ISRD4 Results from 21 countries

Abstract

This presentation delves into the dual nature of adolescent crime as it unfolds in both digital and physical arenas. Utilizing data from the ISRD4 study—comprising over 50,000 respondents from 21 countries—the analysis differentiates between online and offline offenses and victimization. It outlines the spread of online delinquency, such as non-consensual image sharing, online hate speech, and cyber-enabled fraud, and contrasts these with conventional crimes like assault, theft, and vandalism.
By integrating socio-demographic variables such as sex and age, the presentation offers nuanced insights into how digital and physical crime coalesce in different national contexts. The findings have significant implications for both theory and practice, suggesting that preventive strategies must be tailored to address the distinct and converging pathways of youth crime in today’s increasingly digital world.
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Authors

• Anna Markina, Tartu University, Estonia

• Ineke Haen Marshall, Northeastern University

• Dirk Enzmann, University of Hamburg, Germany