Information Society and Emerging Crimes: A Sociological Attempt to Explain Cyberstalking Victims in Tehran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran

2 Ph.D. in Sociology, University of TehranMember of the faculty of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology

Abstract

The development of information society has led to many other developments, including the expansion of cyberspace and the emergence of new types of cybercrime deviations and crimes. One of these large-scale offenses is Cyberstalking. Official agencies and institutions do not provide accurate data on this type of crime. Also, due to the value system of the country, many of these types of crimes are not reported to the relevant institutions. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, the study has used Felson's victimology approach that gives a more accurate estimation of this crime. This crime occurs because of its interactive nature among people of different genders. The types of Cyberstalking that were the subject of this research are threats, theft of information and identity, the dissemination of lies, and harassment. The research method of this study is to investigate the victims to discover the crime's realistic rate and analyze its causes. The survey's statistical population is citizens over 15 years of age in Tehran using at least one hour of Internet per week. Findings show that around 8.9% of Tehran's users have been attacked at least once. So it can be said Cyberstalking is a social problem that is taking place in cyberspace. Analysis of the findings shows that the online lifestyle of the victims has a significant effect on the rate and quality of the incident. Among the factors affecting the crime are the changes in values in cyberspace and the reduction of social control, which leads to ethical emancipation and self-control. This process ultimately increases the visibility and risk-taking behavior of individuals who provide the platform for her victimization.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Social Problems of Iran
Volume 10, Issue 1
May 2020
Pages 37-62

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