Social scores of cybercrime - a descriptive and analytical study

Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify the types and characteristics of cybercrimes. It also aims to analyze the underlying social motives for these crimes, including factors related to the family environment, educational environment, work, peers, and media outlets. This is a theoretical study that employs a descriptive-analytical method to present and analyze the social motives for this category of crime.

The findings reveal that there are numerous types of cybercrimes, such as cyber-attacks, fraud and defamation, dissemination of viruses, hacking, and unauthorized access to accounts and emails. The characteristics of cybercrimes include the unrestricted use of electronic networks, their borderless nature, the ease of concealing one's name and identity (anonymity), and low material and intangible costs. The social motives for committing cybercrimes are identified as follows: a disintegrated family environment, improper upbringing, persistent conflicts among family members, and a lack of supervision over the use of electronic devices. Additionally, an unhealthy educational environment, varying levels of educational attainment, association with negative peer groups, or the desire for self-assertion within those groups are contributing factors. Furthermore, unemployment, poverty, the aspiration for wealth, the influence of media through its content in programs, films, and dramas, and the misuse of social media are considered significant social drivers for the perpetration of cybercrimes.