The Victim–Perpetrator Overlap in Financial Cybercrime: Evidence and Reflection on the Overlap of Youth’s On-Line Victimization and Perpetration

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the victim–perpetrator overlap for financial cybercrimes: auction fraud, virtual theft, and identity fraud. Conducting a cross-sectional study among Dutch youth aged 10 to 18 (N = 6,299), the results show that the victim–perpetrator overlap for financial cybercrime is considerable. Perpetration is strongly motivated by retaliation. The findings from the multinomial regression model show that low self-control and high on-line disinhibition are positively and significantly associated with victimization and perpetration. The findings demonstrate that the overlap between financial cybercrime victimization and perpetration is partially explained by retaliation, low self-control and on-line disinhibition, suggesting that state-dependency and individual heterogeneity explanations should be supplemented by explanations funded in the dynamics of the on-line environment.

Notes

¹ On-line disinhibition acts as a precursor to on-line self-disclosure (Schouten, Valkenburg, and Peter 2007:309).

² Rechtbank Amsterdam, 2 April 2009, LJN: BH9789, BH9790, BH9791.

³ Gerechtshof Leeuwarden, 10 November 2009, LJN: BK2773, BK2764.

⁴ Hoge Raad, 31 January 2012, LJN: BQ9251.

⁵ This research project was undertaken in accordance with the Code of Research established by the HBO-council (Andriessen et al. 2010).

⁶ Appendix A provides an overview of the question wording for each of the following psychometric scales: parental bond, peer bond, on-line disinhibition, on-line self-disclosure, and self-control

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joyce Kerstens

JOYCE KERSTENS is a Senior Researcher at the Cybersafety Research Group (NHL University of Applied Sciences and Police Academy). Her research activities focus on security issues in a digital society. Currently, she is project manager of a national four-year research project on Youth and Cybersafety. The purpose of this research is to identify various risk factors related to cyberbullying, on-line sexual activities and on-line financial crime.

Jurjen Jansen

JURJEN JANSEN is a researcher at the Cybersafety Research Group (NHL University of Applied Sciences and Police Academy). His research interests focus on human behavior regarding Information Technology. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Faculty of Humanities and Law, Open University.