General strain theory and cybercrime

Abstract

An important priority in cybercrime research is to use theory to better understand and organize information on cybercrime offending. Recent efforts in this area have informatively applied theories such as social learning, self-control, and routine activities, but there is room to apply additional theories. Agnew’s general strain theory (GST) provides an appealing possibility for this by emphasizing key causal variables that are neglected in other theories. Specifically, it hypothesizes that strainful social relationships and events give rise to negative emotional states that, in turn, are catalysts for aggressive and criminal behavior. This chapter describes how these arguments can be applied to cybercrime to better understand the causes of cyberoffending and the consequences of cybervictimization. For both areas, the relevant theoretical arguments and empirical evidence are described. The chapter concludes with a discussion of key priorities for future research.