Understanding Crime in Cyberspace

• In Event: Crime and Place: Teen Hangout Places and Cyberspaces

Abstract

Most recent studies suggest that cybercrime –understood as all crimes committed in cyberspace- is increasing. As a matter of fact, cybercrime continues to advance to the degree that ICT is permeating everything in our daily lives. Crime opportunity theory has found time ago that crime –as a social event- occurs in a particular place, and therefore the place is a key variable. The statement that cyberspace is a rather different environment from physical space demands an understanding of the keys to criminal behavior on the Internet with an eye to effective prevention. On one hand, we will try to explain how the design of digital architectures notably increases criminal opportunities and facilitates cyber-victimization, and how the defining traits of cyberspace affect people’s daily lives and incline them to adopt riskier lifestyles. On the other hand, we try to show prevention strategies, with particular emphasis on the importance of the victim’s role in the criminal event. By analyzing most recent studies on cyber-victimization we will show how the potential victim can reduce probability of crimes to happen in cyberspace.

Authors

• Fernando Miro, University Miguel Hernandez

• Jose R. Agustina, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya