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A Safe Haven for Misbehaving? An Investigation of Online Misbehavior Among University Students
Neil Selwyn*
University of London
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: n.selwyn{at}ioe.ac.uk.
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Abstract |
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Although considerable academic interest has focused on serious cyber-crimes, more commonplace Internet misuses (e.g., misrepresentation of self, unauthorized downloading, Internet pornography, online plagiarism, and other "cyber-cheating") have received less attention. Although these transgressions are of minor legal importance, they merit closer academic scrutiny. Based on a self-report study of 1,222 U.K. undergraduate students, this article explores the prevalence, nature, and underpinning facilitators of five examples of Internet-based misbehavior. Although more than 90% of respondents self-reported online misbehavior during the past 12 months, significant differences are evident in gender, Internet expertise, and, to a lesser extent, age. Although respondents portrayed the Internet as a more conducive environment for misbehavior, the survey data report a strong correlation between respondents’ propensity to misbehave in online and offline contexts. These data highlight the need to contextualize cyber-deviance in relation to the offline "life world" of the Internet user and the Internet’s wider role in everyday life.
First published on February 5, 2008, doi:10.1177/0894439307313515
Social Science Computer Review 2008;26:446.
A more recent version of this article appeared on November 1, 2008
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