Impact of cybercrime victimization

What is the impact of cybercrime victimization compared to traditional crime, and what does this mean for the role of the police?

Victims of crime can experience serious and long-lasting consequences of the offence they encountered. However, while society and the techniques criminals use are digitizing, the victimization impact of cybercrime remains largely unclear. Moreover, a comprehensive comparison between the impact of cybercrime and traditional crime has not been made.

The current study compares the impact of cybercrime on individual victims to the impact of traditional crime. To that goal, suitable groups of cybercrime and traditional crime are established. Also, suitable measurement methods and theoretical models are explored. Victimization impact is divided in emotional/psychological, material/financial, physical/bodily, and social/behavioral impact. The implications of the results for the role of the police in victim care and crime response will also be examined.

Researchers
Jildau Borwell MSc (PhD candidate), Prof. Dr. Wouter Stol; Dr. Jurjen Jansen

Time schedule
December 2018 – December 2022