More Than Just Friends: Online Social Networks and Offending. (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McCuddy, Timothy; Vogel, Matt
• Is Part Of: Criminal justice review. Volume 40:Number 2(2015:Jun.)
• Page Start: 169
• Page End: 189
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: online social networks -- peer networks -- offending; Criminal justice, Administration of -- United States -- Periodicals; 345.05
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016814557010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0734-0168

Abstract

The study of peer-group processes has a rich history in criminology. The dramatic growth in online social network websites has fundamentally changed peer-group interaction; however, relatively little research has considered how socialization processes observed in traditional interaction translate to online interaction. Using a sample of 583 undergraduate students from a mid-southern university, this study explores the concurrency between self-reported offending and exposure to criminal behavior in social network websites. Results demonstrate a strong, positive association between individual behavior and exposure to criminal behavior in online networks, suggesting that the processes underlying traditional social interaction also characterize online interaction. These results underscore the importance of online networks for understanding the etiology of criminal behavior.