Delinquency and the Digital Domain: The Influence of Online Activities and Victimization Experiences on Offline Crime and Cyber Aggression among Adolescents Open Access

Semenza, Daniel (Spring 2018)

Permanent URL: https://etd.library.emory.edu/concern/etds/td96k252h?locale=en
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Abstract

The relationship between online activity and juvenile delinquency has been understudied, relying on basic measures of overall time spent online without examining specific online behaviors. This dissertation assesses how different online activities are associated with in-person delinquency and cyber aggression using secondary cross-sectional data from a three-state survey of 5,647 junior high and high school students entitled "Technology, Teen Dating Violence and Abuse, and Bullying in Three States." The project draws upon key criminological perspectives including strain, control, social learning, and routine activities theories, as well as polyvictimization research.

 

Descriptive statistics are reported for all measures. Multiple imputation is used to account for missing data on independent and dependent variables. OLS regression models are used to analyze the imputed data within the full sample, controlling for relevant demographic and psychological factors. Following the analyses of online activities and delinquency, an assessment of the influence of polyvictimization on delinquency is conducted. Finally, stratified models are assessed to examine differences in association between online activity and forms of perpetration by age, gender, and race.

 

Certain online activities across computers and mobile devices are associated with a higher risk of online and offline forms of delinquency. Online research is generally associated with a decrease in delinquency across devices. Victimization experiences are particularly influential for all forms of delinquency and polyvictimization is associated with increases in the risk of most forms of delinquency, even after accounting for individual victimization. With some exceptions, few demographic differences across race, age, and gender lines are found for the influence of online activity on delinquency. Limitations, policy implications, and directions for future research with an emphasis on the use of new data sources and teen dating violence are discussed.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

I. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Contribution................................................................................................................................................................................ 2

II. The Expansion of Adolescent Technology Use and Online Activity...................................... 6

Positive and Negative Influence of Online Expansion for Adolescents.................................................. 8

III. The Role of Online Activity for Cyber and Offline Delinquency......................................... 11

Cyber Bullying......................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Online Dating Aggression................................................................................................................................................. 13

In-Person Delinquency...................................................................................................................................................... 15

IV. Theoretical Framework............................................................................................................................................ 20

General Strain Theory........................................................................................................................................................ 21

Social Learning Theory...................................................................................................................................................... 28

Control Theories................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Routine Activities Theory............................................................................................................................................... 35

Stratified Differences – Age, Race, and Gender.................................................................................................... 37

Summary..................................................................................................................................................................................... 40

V. General Hypotheses...................................................................................................................................................... 41

VI. Current Study................................................................................................................................................................... 43

Data................................................................................................................................................................................................. 43

Analytic Hypotheses........................................................................................................................................................... 44

Measures..................................................................................................................................................................................... 46

Analytic Strategy................................................................................................................................................................... 58

Multiple Imputation............................................................................................................................................................ 62

VII - A. Results: Online Activity and Delinquent Perpetration...................................................... 64

Descriptive Results.............................................................................................................................................................. 64

Multivariate Results – In-person Delinquency................................................................................................. 67

Multivariate Results – Cyber Delinquency........................................................................................................... 74

VII - B. Results: Polyvictimization............................................................................................................................ 80

Descriptive Results.............................................................................................................................................................. 80

Multivariate Results – Part I.......................................................................................................................................... 82

Multivariate Results – Part II........................................................................................................................................ 88

VII - C. Results: Demographic Differences in Cyber Perpetration.................................................... 92

Descriptive Results.............................................................................................................................................................. 92

Multivariate Results – Cyber Delinquency........................................................................................................... 98

VIII. Discussion..................................................................................................................................................................... 106

IX. Limitations, Future Research, and Policy Implications............................................................. 119

X. Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................................................... 131

XI. References........................................................................................................................................................................ 133

XII. Key Measurements and Scales.................................................................................................................... 150

Dependent Variable Scales (In-person)............................................................................................................... 150

Dependent Variable Scales (Online)........................................................................................................................ 154

Key Independent Online Activity Variables...................................................................................................... 156

Victimization Measures................................................................................................................................................. 157

XIII. Tables and Figures............................................................................................................................................... 164

Table 1....................................................................................................................................................................................... 164

Table 2....................................................................................................................................................................................... 166

Table 3....................................................................................................................................................................................... 169

Table 4....................................................................................................................................................................................... 172

Table 5....................................................................................................................................................................................... 174

Table 6....................................................................................................................................................................................... 174

Table 7....................................................................................................................................................................................... 175

Table 8....................................................................................................................................................................................... 175

Table 9....................................................................................................................................................................................... 176

Figure 1..................................................................................................................................................................................... 178

Figure 2..................................................................................................................................................................................... 178

Figure 3..................................................................................................................................................................................... 179

Figure 4..................................................................................................................................................................................... 179

Table 10.................................................................................................................................................................................... 180

Table 11.................................................................................................................................................................................... 181

Table 12.................................................................................................................................................................................... 183

Table 13.................................................................................................................................................................................... 185

Table 14.................................................................................................................................................................................... 187

Table 15.................................................................................................................................................................................... 189

Table 16.................................................................................................................................................................................... 191

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