Digital Crime Theories - Essay Report- CIS170

Digital Crime Theories
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Digital Crime Theories
Strayer University
Felicia McCaw
Professor Sean Hord
CIS 170
Online Spring 2016
May 7, 2016

Digital Crime Theories
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The study of criminology is a scientific procedure wherein the acts or nature of a crime and its extent, causes, control, consequences and preventative measures are done that involve both the individual and social levels in an interactive fashion to alleviate, control and dispel. Criminology involves a multitude of crimes that are committed on a daily basis ranging from white collar crimes to non-white collar crimes also known as “street crimes”.

Criminal behavior is learned behavior done by emulation or by association which includes the parallism of active participants in the initiation and culmination of the act. The acts of white crimes are inclusive of the intrusive invasion using computers and other internal information in businesses to complete acts of embezzlement, corporate espionage, money laundering, identity crimes and fraud. The crimes are offenses that would be included in the field of digital crimes of this nature and require a certain amount of knowledge and sophistication to pull off along with accomplices and are usually planned events synchronized carefully to prevent discovery.

As with all acts of crime the cause of digital crime is prevalent due to the ease, availability and expanded opportunities to invade and exploit a situation that is unable to control due to the overwhelming magnitude of the internet. Further criminals or offenders know that they have the advantage and unscrupulously take advantage for financial gain and acts of malice. Subsequently, the incentive and impetus involved is that the increase of computer users symbolizes a pigeon or an easy mark. Another motive for digital crime is the high tech ability to cause destruction speedily, effectively and as a facilitator to the overall criminal act. Not only is digital crime an enabler for criminal acts it is a tool for instigation of premeditated acts against individuals, companies and countries either for political or non-political reasons.

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Consequently, digital crime is like an accessory to information warfare and a tremendous financial enabler that helps facilitate additional criminal acts. As technology expands and evolves this allows the innovative usage of digital crime as a stabilizer in organized crime. Because digital crime is initiated and self-motivated the Rational Choice Theory is applicable in the labeling of this behavior because of cognitive choice. The ability of humans in decision making allows the assumption of acknowledgement that all are capable and motivated by self-interests, the act of weighing costs and the beneficial gain with the least amount of exertion to obtain the objective.

Theoretically, the difficulty of achieving the criminal objective is measured with the thought of preventatives to cause a modification in behavior. Modifying the behavior is an entitlement and advantage overall to the social structure with corrections. Founded in the Control Theory is the inexplicable assertion that the definitive nature of acts stems from self-interest or egoism.

An example of Rational Choice Theory going into effect would be the crime of Identity Theft. This crime allows the acknowledgment that the deed is wrong but gain overshadows the risk with the advantage of ease, lucrativeness and the lack of fear of getting apprehended. Therefore, supportive of this theory is this crime and the procedural steps taken to facilitate and complete the act.

Whereas Rational Choice Theory deals with the examination of digital crime theories and the manifestation and mechanics of self-interest and determent of action using the methodology of negative reinforcement. Strain Theory revolves around the level of economic distress and impoverishment that effectively modifies behavior and allows deviation in normal behavior.

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Structural weakness or vulnerability is unfortunately a factor of socio-economic distress which is a promoter of digital crimes and deviant behavior. Digital crime acts as a facilitator to allow monetary gains to live the life of success with a bypass of regulatory work and the ethic of work to be dismissed. Also, digital crime acts as an anomie where social regulation is a correlating element to the fragmentation of social order and a breakdown in legalistic norms further establishes a paradigm and posit for active deregulation.

The crime of Embezzlement would be a resultant of the Strain Theory due to the nature of these criminal acts being committed and as supportive of this theory these are acts of people from distressed socio-economies. Although, acknowledgment is there the need and desperation for money overshadows the risk and compels the offender to act and dismiss the fear of being caught.

As a collaborator of deeds and actions the Differential Association Theory is supportive of the fact, assertion and explanation of why people commit the act of digital crime. As a theory digital crime is a sociological phenomena that has spiraled upward with the increase of latitude and opportunity available. The theory reflects that influential associates are a major contributor to the acts of digital crime due to acts of emulation and modelization. Acting as a facilitator this level of crime is instigated through a none biological predisposition but is a resulting event from the social environment, surroundings, individuals and values sought and learned from those with adversion to following legalistic norms. Therefore, acts of digital crime are acts that allow opportunist avenues of proclivity and acts of association and a foundational base for criminality.

Although the Differential Association Theory supplies a supportive argument and base for understanding the escalation of digital crime it is still not overly inclusive to explain all manners of criminality. For example, the crime of drug dealing deals with associative interaction

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and a combined effort to distribute and as with all crimes a certain organization is needed and with the level of modernization and sophistication digital crimes is a supportive not an inhibitor to the act of dispensing of addictive substances with hidden messages throughout the internet.

In conclusion, Digital Crime Theories are based on theories that examine crime and the acts and nature of crime with the context of digital crime as its subject and base for explaining the why and if. Further, these theories are used as a preventative measure, inhibitor and support for the application of punishment to prevent.



REFERENCES

Taylor, R.W., Fritsch, E.J. & Liederbach, J. (2015), Digital Crime and Digital Terrorism.
(3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson, Inc.
Holland, D. (2015). Differential Association Theory. Research Starters: Sociology (Online Edition),
Harbeck, K. (2016). Rational Choice Theory. Deviance & Social Control: Rational Choice Theory – Research Starters Sociology, 1-7.
Flynn, S. I. (2015). Social Movement Theory: Structural Strain Theory. Research Starters: Sociology (Online Edition),