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The Challenges of Empirically Comparing Cybercriminals and Traditional Offenders

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Abstract

In the theoretical literature, many differences between cybercriminals and traditional criminals are discussed. On the one hand, the empirical literature tends to focus only on cybercrime and usually does not empirically compare cybercriminals with traditional criminals. However, such a comparison enables an empirical evaluation on the extent to which traditional criminological theories and concepts are equally important in explaining cybercrime. Comparing such different types of crime committed in completely different contexts is, however, also very challenging. One needs to find comparable samples of criminals and find research methods suitable for both groups. Based on the experiences resulting from empirical comparisons of cybercriminals and traditional criminals, this chapter will discuss several of these challenges. In addition to methodological choices, it will also discuss differences between cybercriminals and traditional criminals in, for example, response rates or privacy awareness, as this may be useful in both comparative research as well as research specifically focused on cybercrime.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Marleen Weulen Kranenbarg

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  1. Marleen Weulen Kranenbarg
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Correspondence to Marleen Weulen Kranenbarg .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Anita Lavorgna

  2. School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Thomas J. Holt

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Weulen Kranenbarg, M. (2021). The Challenges of Empirically Comparing Cybercriminals and Traditional Offenders. In: Lavorgna, A., Holt, T.J. (eds) Researching Cybercrimes. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74837-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74837-1_6

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-74837-1

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