Article Review #1 –

Interdisciplinary Studies of Criminology:

Brandon Teague

Old Dominion University

CYSE 201S

Diwakar Yalpi

September 28, 2025

            Social sciences are the core of this article. The author states that “Cybercriminology is an interdisciplinary study that involves identifying the causes of cyber-crime, combining knowledge from criminology, psychology, sociology, computer science, and cybersecurity” (Choi and Lee, 2018, p. 1). The author is stating that cybercriminology doesn’t just stem from one specific issue and comes from multiple different areas of study and studies that involve social sciences. Studies show that because of the rise of internet and social media it has become far easier to commit cyber crime by using hate speech and social violence against others. Especially towards people of the opposite sex, race and towards children. These studies were taken from middle and high school students from multiple different countries.

One of the studies research questions is what are the relations of social control, self-control, lifestyle, and delinquency theories to cyber-crime?  The Hypothesis to this question would be that existing theories to these topics can explain relation to cyber-crime. The independent variable of the study was the levels of social and self-control among the juveniles, while the dependent variable was the natural tendency towards cyber crime and hacking. The survey showed that while higher education plays an important role in helping with control, better teaching and coping strategies need to be studied to help juveniles from committing these crimes.

            The different research methods used depended on the topic the article was discussing since there were 2. For the juvenile studies it was analyzing quantitative data since they were examining studies from middle and high school students. This involved going through data submitted by these students and based off their answers the authors of the article were able to find some answers based off their earlier question. The research method used on terrorist propaganda was to analyze specific datasets. Analyzing these datasets involved collecting online data/reports, court cases and news articles. This allowed them to identify patterns and trends which helped them draw conclusions on that study.

            The data and analysis that was done also differed on each topic in the article. The data for the juvenile studies was primarily quantitative and obtained from the studies done with school students. Whereas the data from terrorist propaganda is more structured since it was pulled from news reports and court cases. The analysis done for the juveniles was statistical while the analysis done for terrorist propaganda was comparative.

            The concepts from the PowerPoint that most relate to my article are Psychodynamic Theory, cyber offending and behavioral theories. Psychodynamic Theory relates to the juveniles that are committing cyber-crimes and cyber bullying as well as the victims. The theory suggests that experiences earlier on in one’s life can influence future behavior. This kind of goes with behavioral theories since that suggests these behaviors are learned. These juveniles probably go through things early on in life and learn these nasty behaviors and then proceed to lash out against others online, hurting people. Unchecked, this can lead to influencing the victim’s future and even the attacker because they will keep doing it.

            It relates to the challenges, concerns and contributions of marginalized groups by touching on specific issues within middle and high school age groups. It mentions sexually oriented content related to children, hate speech and cyber bullying online happening within these younger ages. Failing to face and properly deal with these issues can lead to problems later in life. This article contributes to society by informing the public about the issues that children face online and the impacts of such harassment and bullying. It also promotes safety for the public between giving us statistics on terrorist propaganda and bringing awareness to what juveniles face online.

REFERENCE:

Choi, Kyung-shick and Lee, Claire Seungeun (2018) The Presen and Future of Cybercrime, Cyberterrorism, and Cybersecurity, International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime: 1(1), 1-4. https://www.doi.org/10.52306/01010218YXGW4012

Article Review # 2 –

The Role of Social Bias in Non-Consensual Image Sharing:

Brandon Teague

School of Cyber Security, Old Dominion University

CYSE 201S: Cybersecurity and the Social Sciences

Diwakar Yalpi

November 7, 2025

            With the rise of digital communications a new form of abuse has emerged, with irreversible damage being done by distributing intimate images without permission, also know as “revenge pornography”. Even with legal efforts to criminalize this behavior, the victims of this heinous crime often face social backlash online from others. This phenomenon is known as victim blaming. This article examines the perceptions of revenge pornography and victim blaming. It investigates the factors influencing this blame, for the role of the gender of the victim and any consent. The findings from this study are important in understanding how biases within society affect any justice and support for these victims of technology related sexual violence.

            This study is grounded in the social sciences; it draws heavily on criminology and social psychology. The core focus of this study is Victimology, which is the study of the relationship between victims and offenders. As well as the reaction to the crime. The research tests the application of the Victim Precipitation Theory in a digital context. This theory suggests that a victim’s actions of characteristics may contribute to any victimization they face. By analyzing how different social perceptions are assigned based on manipulated variables, the authors can quantify social judgements and moral reasoning. The research found in this study aims to understand the factors that allow these injustices to continue against these victims.

            The research question addressed in the article was, to what extent do the characteristics of the victim and their behavior influence the public’s assignment of blame for their victimization? The hypothesis of this study was that victims who were perceived to have exercised greater initial control over the image would be blamed far more than victims who were unaware the image was taken. The independent variables of the study were the victim’s gender and levels of consent. The dependent variable of the study was the score assigned by participants on a blame scale. This scale put the degree of responsibility attributed to the victim in a numerical value.

            The study used quantitative survey research, and it also used a scenario-based experiment. Any participants recruited were randomly assigned to read one of four short stories that describe an instance of non-consensual image sharing, with the details of the victim’s gender and consent level. All data collected was quantitative. The results showed that the level of consent was a significant factor as well as the victim’s gender. Females were blame significantly more than males.

            The challenges, concerns and contributions of marginalized groups were there. The study found that female victims were blamed significantly more than male victims. This shows the gendered double standard when judging sexual conduct. This research shows evidence of bias in society. It also reinforces what female victims have to go through when they go public with wanting help in these cases.

            The crucial contributions to society were public awareness and education. The quantifiable data found in the study is a powerful tool for unaware people. By demonstrating the reality of gender bias in judgment, this study promotes a shift toward more accountability for the offender and more empathy for the victims.

            In conclusion, the research done by Starr and Lavis (2018) serves as a vital piece of social science in the field of criminology. The study employed quantitative, scenario-based designs to expose the roles that a victim’s initial consent and their gender play a role in the public’s willingness to assign blame for non-consensual image sharing. The findings show the urgency of addressing gender bias as a major component of secondary victimization. The contribution of this article is its data driven evidence that should be utilized to inform legal changes, guide public education, and create a more supportive environment for victim’s of digital abuse.

Reference:

Starr, T. S., & Lavis, T. (2018). Perceptions of revenge pornography and victim blame. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 12(1), 173–193. Direct link: https://www.cybercrimejournal.com/pdf/Starr&Lewisvol12issue2IJCC2018.pdf