Examining the applicability of lifestyle-routine activities theory for cybercrime victimization

A great deal of criminological research has attempted to understand and identify the causes of victimization using the lifestyle-routine activities theory. Recent researchers have argued that the lifestyle-routine activities theory may be able to explain the increasingly significant phenomenon of computer and cybercrime. This claim has been contested by Yar (2005), however, who argues that routine activities theory is limited in explaining cybercrime. Few empirical tests exist to address this important issue. Thus, this study attempts to explore this gap in the research literature by examining a specific form of cybercrime, on-line harassment. Using a sample of students at a southeastern university, this analysis found some support for elements of lifestyle-routine activities theory. Individual and peer involvement in computer crime and deviance also significantly increased the risk of victimization. The implications of these findings for theorists and researchers are also explored.