Psychological and Social Factors as Predictors of Online and Offline Deviant Behavior among Japanese Adolescents

ABSTRACT

The rise of cyberspace and technological advancement has created new opportunities for deviant behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate online and offline deviant behavior in a sample of high school students, as well as compare a number of theoretical frameworks for predicting deviance. Employing structural equation modeling, the findings of the study indicated that one’s normative beliefs or psychological factors are more important than social factors when it comes to deviant behavior. Attitudes toward violence, low self-control, and peer attachment were positively associated with offline deviance, while parental attachment and neighborhood attachment had negative associations. For online deviance, toxic online disinhibition and attitudes toward violence were positive predictors, while parental attachment had a negative association.

Notes

¹ Questionnaires with more than 20% of missing values and questionnaires with more than 7 out of the total of 13 scales having only one number as the chosen answer were deemed invalid and excluded from the final sample.

² KR-20 or the Kuder and Richardson coefficient is the equivalent for Cronbach’s alpha, which is used in cases when scale items are dichotomous.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Reinis Udris

REINIS UDRIS earned his Ph.D. in Sociology in 2016 from Osaka University. His research focuses on cyberbullying, sociology of crime, online disinhibition, and cyberspace.