Hunting in the digital jungle: Exploring cyberstalking with higher order moderation in situational action theory

Saeed Kabiri

Journal of Criminal Justice, 2025, vol. 98, issue C

Abstract: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of Situational Action Theory (SAT) in understanding cyberstalking behavior. Using a random sampling method, data were collected from 454 students and analyzed through SmartPLS version 4.1 to assess the theoretical propositions. The findings indicate that the key components of SAT—personal morality, self-control, situational morality, and deterrence—are significantly associated with cyberstalking behavior. Additionally, crime propensity was found to moderate the relationship between criminogenic exposure and cyberstalking. Moreover, personal morality emerged as a higher-order moderator, influencing the moderating role of self-control in the relationships between situational morality and cyberstalking, as well as deterrence and cyberstalking. These results provide valuable insights into the complex interactions between individual characteristics and situational factors in the context of cyberstalking, contributing to the ongoing discourse on its theoretical and practical implications.

Keywords: Situational action theory; Cyberstalking; Higher-order moderation; Structural equation modeling; SmartPLS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:98:y:2025:i:c:s0047235225000492

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2025.102400

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