Routine Activities Theory In Cybercrime

1857 Words4 Pages

I. Orientation
Routine activities theory states that for a crime to occur three conditions must coincide in the same space and time: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian. The internet as we know today connects many people from around the world, regardless of age or country, and according to the theory, these circumstances will increase the opportunity of crimes.
In this paper, I will analyze how routine activities theory applies to child sexual abuse cybercrimes. Moreover, analyze if the internet actually facilitates committing such crimes and increases the likelihood of victimization of children. Coupled with discussing whether preventing child sexual abuse cybercrime is more difficult with the absence of a capable guardian to deter this type of crime in the virtual space. In addition, I will discuss some challenges and gaps and explain the …show more content…

Essentially, they are directly proportional to each other.
People might view cybercrimes in a contrasting way than traditional crimes. However, they are the same but occur in various situations. Both types of crimes are similar in nature but the scenarios and environments are different (Gordon & Ford, 2006).
Literature is full of many definitions of cybercrime. For example, some organizations refer to offences ranging from criminal activity against data, content, and copyright violations, others suggest the definition is broader and they include criminal activities such as fraud, child pornography, and cyberstalking (Gordon & Ford, 2006). Therefore, child sexual abuse on the internet falls under the classifications of cybercrimes across law enforcement organizations around the

Show More
Related

  • Routine Activities Theory: Three Major Components Of Crime

    486 Words  | 1 Pages

    Routine activities theory has three major components that are all necessary for crime to happen. The first is a motivated offender. Second there must be an available victim and lastly, there needs to be lack of capable guardianship. This theory can easily be applied to Mason’s scenario to describe why he has done what he has. Mason’s mother died and is now living with his aunt who he isn’t close with. They live in an undesirable part of town and she works all the time to support her two kids and Mason. This shows the lack of capable guardianship. Mason poor school performance, detention, trouble interacting with teachers, and hanging around other kids who commit delinquent acts as contributed to him being a motivated offender as well as his drinking alcohol and smoking

    Read More

  • Routine Activities Theory

    1788 Words  | 4 Pages

    Based upon the evidence provided on the six elements of a good theory, the Routine Activities Theory is a sound theory. These elements provide that the theory is scientific. The theory has brought together its three elements to help determine why crime occurs. Through research by multiple detached researchers, its hypotheses have been confirmed through tests and empirical evidence.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Traditional Policing Vs. Cyber Policing

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    When it comes to cyber crimes we can’t put a face to the crimes being committed, it’s easier to find ways to prevent hackers from gaining access to important data than searching and putting them in handcuffs. Traditional police theories will not work for cyber crimes, so cyber police theories need to be developed.

    Read More

  • Criminological Theories

    1966 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many of the traditional criminological theories focused more on biological, psychological and sociological explanations of crime rather than on the cost and benefits of crime. More conservative approaches, including routine actives, lifestyle exposure and opportunity theories have clearly incorporated crime rate patterns as a fundamental part of analyzing the economics of crime. Crime statistics are important for the simple reason that they help put theories into a logical perspective. For example, a prospective home owner may want to look at crime rates in areas of potential occupancy. On a more complex level, it helps law enforcement and legislators create effective crime reduction programs. Furthermore, it also helps these agencies determine if crime prevention programs, that have been in effect, have been successful. There are many factors that influence the rates of crime including socio economic status, geographical location, culture and other lifestyle factors. More specifically, Messner and Blau (1987) used routine activities theory to test the relationship between the indicators of leisure activities and the rate of serious crimes. They discussed two types of leisure actives, the first being a household pastime, which primarily focused on television watching. The second type was a non-household leisure event which was consisted of attendance to sporting events, cinemas, and entertainment districts. The focus of this paper will be to study the effects that substantial amounts of leisure activities have on the offender and the victim. Leisure activities not only make a crime more opportunistic for offenders, it may also provide offenders with motivation to engage in criminal activity. On the other hand, it may also be argue...

    Read More

  • Rise Of The Hackers: Movie Analysis

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    The documentary Rise of the Hackers, focuses on the rising criminal use of hacking and how it is effecting multiple areas of technology. The documentary describes simple and complicated situations concerning hacking, but there still questions that must be answered when it comes to hacking and crime. The main question is in trying to determine why a person would choose to commit computer hacking. There are various theories already present within the criminal justice system that may explain at a micro-level and macro-level. These theories would explain why offenders would commit the crimes, but it may not answer the full scope of the question. The Routine Activities Theory would help to explain why offenders offend, why victims are victimized,

    Read More

  • The Routine Activity Theory

    874 Words  | 2 Pages

    The routine activity theory looks at how humans live in a rhythm and how their activity can make them an easier target for criminal activity. According to Wheeldon (2011), three things that must be present for a crime to occur: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and a lack of guardianship. Using the routine activity theory, crime can be eliminated if one of these requirements are not met.

    Read More

  • The Routine Activities Theory

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    The routine activities theory is a logically consistent theory. Cohen and Felson defined the concepts they used, and the proposals they hoped to convey. Their proposal was as they defined that for a crime to occur you needed three elements (motivated offender, suitable target, and lack of a capable guardian), and that when those three elements come together to form routine activities. (Akers, 35). Each element is defined by Cohen and Felson and if one of the elements is not there then a crime will not occur. Although the logical consistency is generally great, the definition of motivated offender is too broad. However, it is not clear about who the motivated offender is. It could be a person who is already inclined to commit a crime or someone who is at the right place at the right time and given the opportunity.

    Read More

  • Theories Of Routine Activities Theory: Environmental Criminology

    121 Words  | 1 Pages

    Routine Activity Theory is one of the main theories of "environmental criminology". According to “Routine Activity Theory,” doing a crime there are three things that show up, a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a guardian to prevent the crime from happening. As an example, a young man/woman who lives and works in a blighted area and doesn’t have a car, he/she has no other choice but to walk home at night after work; this situation will provide any criminal the opportunity needed to operate for an available and suitable target is present with no guardian.

    Read More

  • Use of Technology in Police Departments

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    Technology has opened new encounters and opportunities for the criminal justice system. There are so many new practices of criminal activity, such as computer crimes. There are different types of computer crimes that many people become victims of every day. Computer crime is any crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target ("Computer Crime: Chapter 2: What Are the Crimes?", n.d.). Crimes such as data diddling, pump and dump, social engineering and spoofing are computer crimes. Even though these crimes are difficult by privacy issues, the new technology has made investigations and prosecutions well organized and effective. Though views are different on the pros and cons of specific technological changes in the criminal justice system, there is an agreement the system has changed affectedly ("Effects of Technology in Criminal Justice | eHow", n.d.).

    Read More

  • Theory of Criminal Behavior

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    Criminal behavior theory is a set of principles and statements which attempt to explain how one or more factors lead to criminal acts. In addition, the theory explains the response to a particular behavior and not the crime committed. Similarly, the phenomenon being studied takes place after a behavior has occurred and must be a reaction to the behavior in question. It therefore includes the basic decision regarding whether to employ punishment as a control or to consider the fact that people are to be blamed for their harmful acts. Any theory must be testable, thus it must be stated in such a way that other people c...

    Read More

  • CyberCrime is Not Real Crime

    1494 Words  | 3 Pages

    If a crime doesn't result in actual physical damage or loss, can it be considered a crime? Or is any act that leaves a victim feeling violated a punishable crime? One way to look at the issue is through the approach that yes, cyber rape and other crimes are punishable. This can be argued through the fact that these crimes effect "real" life and stir up "real" emotion. It is a punishable violation because it involves actual victims and makes them feel violated. Another position is that because these violations can be avoided by the press of a button or the click of a mouse, they are in no way punishable and are more of a game than anything. The internet is something that effects most people, and anyone who logs onto it can become a victim to cyber crime. If found in the situation, users should know what exactly is at stake. In this essay I will examine both sides of the argument, and explain why I personally feel that cyber crimes cannot be prosecuted as actual crimes.

    Read More

  • Criminological Theories Of Crime Prevention

    919 Words  | 2 Pages

    Routine Activity Theory Finally, the principles of the routine activity theory presume that the combination of a) availability of a suitable victim b) and presence of motivated and capable offenders. The more times these three elements are present, the higher are the chances that a person will be victimized. Nowadays, this theory is thought to be the most recognized in the academic circles, as well as it is most frequently used by the law enforcement communities in their propaganda campaigns (Wheeler, Book & Costello, 2009). As far as this case is concerned, this method of criminological thinking appears to be among the most relevant.

    Read More

  • CyberCrime: Preventing the Horrific Crimes on the Internet

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today's society, many aspects of crime are committed on a regular basis. Civilians take advantage of people all the time using online resources such as fraudulent websites requiring credit card information to get a free monthly trial. Other examples of cyber crimes include online chat websites, full of predators, or websites needing a downloadable program that contains a hacking virus. Sadly, there are many cases of cyber crime all over the internet. The acts of cyber crimes are considered violent acts like any other.

    Read More

  • CyberCrime

    2979 Words  | 6 Pages

    Cybercrime is a global issue plaguing the world. The dictionary defines cybercrime as “crime conducted via the Internet or some other computer network”(Merriam-Webster). The definition remains very broad because the word “cyber” is defined as “relating to the culture of computers, information technology, and virtual reality.” Due to the growing number of people gaining access to the internet, rapid development of technology, and the globalization of the world, more of the world population is becoming susceptible to involvement in cybercrime – whether it be as a victim or a criminal. Cybercrime involves different levels of the world on both the victim and criminal side, from an individual citizen, to small groups, businesses, and the government, to the countries of the world.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Cybercrime

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    Just as traditional criminal activities, cybercrime can take many forms and occur virtually anytime and anywhere. Criminals committing cybercrime use very different methods, depending on their abilities and goals. This should not surprise anyone after all cybercrime is merely an activity "criminal" to the ingredient that adds a computer or an electronic network for its commission.

    Read More

More about Routine Activities Theory In Cybercrime

Open Document