Cybercrime: Concepts and Theories

Abstract

This study provides preliminary insights into the value of concepts and their role in scientific research. To this end, we examined the phenomenon of cybercrime and related concepts such as cyberbullying, cyberviolence and cyberharassment, as well as the harasser and the harassed (the victim). We also considered emotional competencies and emotional intelligence.

We also emphasised the importance of theories in scientific research, in terms of their well-founded explanations of constructed problems, and their usefulness in examining reality through these explanations and testing them against reality.

To this end, we presented three theories that we consider relevant, which researchers may draw upon for both interpretation and empirical examination. These include: Bandura’s social learning theory; the theory of white-collar crime; and the broken-window (or broken-bottle) theory.