Scripting digital harms: The case of sharenting

• In Event: WG-PLACE 5: Crime Scripting

Abstract

Crime scripting has been broadly used in criminology and crime science as an effective analytical method to - among other things - identify the criminogenic opportunities exploited in criminal events with the aim to ideate situational crime prevention measures. Crime scripts are inherently crime-specific, and are generally referred to the micro level. Notwithstanding, some research has evidenced how crime scripts can serve as a heuristic tool also when applied at a broader level (master script), and to analyze behavioral patterns that might not necessarily be part of a crime event, but that are nonetheless socially harmful. In our contribution, we discuss how a master script can be of great value in investigating digital social harms, as a way to unravel systemic vulnerabilities and identify where and how to best develop preventative measures. Harmful sharenting (that is, the digital sharing of sensitive information of minors by parents or other relevant adults) will be used as a case study to illustrate our argument.

Authors

• Anita Lavorgna, University of Bologna

• Pamela Ugwudike, University of Southampton

• Natalie Djohari, Bournemouth University

• Silke Roth, University of Southampton