Perceived Criminality of Cyber-Harassing Behaviors among Undergraduate Students in the United Kingdom

Catherine Millman, Monica Whitty, Belinda Winder and Mark D. Griffiths
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Catherine Millman: Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
Monica Whitty: Department of Media and Communication, Leicester University, Leicester, UK
Belinda Winder: Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
Mark D. Griffiths: Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

International Journal of Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning (IJCBPL), 2012, vol. 2, issue 4, 49-59

Abstract: Whilst cyber-harassment is a criminal act within the United Kingdom, there is little research examining whether cyber-harassing behaviors are perceived as criminal. This paper assesses whether the ‘Big Five’ personality characteristics and Internet self-efficacy influence perceived criminality of cyber-harassing behaviors. The sample comprised 320 undergraduate students who completed an online survey measuring perceived criminality of 18 cyber-harassing behaviors. Principal axis factoring revealed three dimensions: malicious behavior, harassing messages, and malicious software. High Internet self-efficacious individuals (i.e., those who feel more in control of online interactions) were more likely than low Internet self-efficacious individuals to perceive malicious software as criminal. Low-agreeable individuals were more likely than high-agreeable individuals to perceive harassing messages as criminal. Whilst personality and Internet self-efficacy influenced perceived criminality for some cyber-harassing behaviors, the findings were not consistent. The paper discusses the findings and implications for future research.

Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:igg:jcbpl0:v:2:y:2012:i:4:p:49-59

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