Low Self-Control And Cybercrime: Exploring The Utility Of The General Theory Of Crime Beyond Digital Piracy

ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Cathy Marcum, Associate Professor and Curriculum Coordinator (Creator)
Institution
Appalachian State University (ASU )
Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/

Abstract: While technological innovations over the last thirty years have markedly improved the ways in which people communicate and gather information, these advances have also led to computer crimes and related deviance becoming permanent fixtures in our society. In an effort to curtail internet offending, it is important for academics and practitioners alike to better understand why some individuals engage in cyber-criminality. Criminologists have utilized several theories to investigate this type of deviance, including low self-control theory. However, the vast majority of this prior research has focused on a narrow scope of offending, namely digital piracy. The current study utilizes a sample of 488 undergraduate students to evaluate the theory’s generality hypothesis by examining the extent to which low self-control predicts online deviance in general and beyond digital piracy more specifically. Study results support the generality hypothesis in that low self-control is related to non-digital piracy online deviance. Specific findings, policy implications, and directions for future research are discussed.

Additional Information

Publication
Donner CM, Marcum CD, Jennings WG, Higgins GE, Banfield J. Low self-control and cybercrime: Exploring the utility of the general theory of crime beyond digital piracy. Computers in Human Behavior. 2014;34:165-172. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.01.040. Publisher version of record available at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/computers-in-human-behavior/
Language: English
Date: 2014
Keywords
Self-control, Computer crime, Cybercrime, Online deviance, Digital piracy

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