UNDERSTANDING CYBERCRIME AND YOUTH: A PERCEPTION BASED APPROACH

Faiz Ullah,Zahid Umar,Ahmad Ali

doi:10.52567/pjsr.v3i3.233

Abstract

In recent years, the issue of cybercrime has overwhelmed everyone who is related to the internet in any capacity. Recent studies have shown that the incidents of cybercrime vastly involve youngsters, which has serious consequences for them as victims and as cyber offenders. The existing body of knowledge related to cybercrime focus upon various issues of internet in general and social media in particular. However, a thorough approach on the issues of cybercrime with relevance to youth is missing. Therefore, this study tries to fill this gap by offering youth and victim-based approach on the issues pertaining to cybercrime. For attaining this purpose, qualitative research approach was adopted in conducting this research project. Semi structured interviews were conducted with 40 young victims of cybercrime. The respondents were recruited through purposive sampling from district Peshawar of 18 to 25 years of age. Furthermore, the respondents were recruited from three clusters of district Peshawar namely Gul Bahar, Hayat Abad, and University town. Various dimensions of cybercrime and involvement of youth as victims and as criminals were explored. It can be concluded that the youth mostly experience cybercrime in the form of cyber bullying, blackmailing and hacking. Further, the findings suggest that many youngsters make their choices on social media and internet without being aware of cybercrimes and thus succumbed to cyber criminals. The participants also reiterated that lack of proper restrictions and policing have created a crime friendly zone for cyber criminals. Based on the findings and participant views, it is recommended that the government, relevant bodies, institutions, and all stake holders including youth should come forward and help in developing a research and technology driven policy backed by separate cybercrime policing system. Key Words: Cyber space, Cybercrime, Victimization, Cybercriminal, Youth

Highlights

The participants were recruited from district Peshawar; the rationale for recruiting participants was that district Peshawar has vast internet accessibility compared to other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
An extensive body of knowledge focus on the involvement of youngsters in cyber activities across the youth dominated cyber space
We focused on the issues related to cybercrime amongst youth

Summary

Introduction

The last two decades have seen a surge in the use as well as users of internet and digital accessories. The advancement of digital technology has brought numerous benefits like e-services, faster communication and virtual social networking (Arpad, 2013). The advancement has resulted in some serious repercussions such as hacking, scamming, spoofing, cyber stalking, e-theft and cyber criminality (Aiken et al, 2016; Yar, 2006). All these repercussions are known as cybercrime. The good image of technology and internet have been threatened by the electronic thefts, frauds and bullying. The Understanding Cyber Crime and Youth: A Perception Based Approach dominant perspective still represents the internet as the only way of progress, prosperity and socioeconomic improvements across the globe (Kamruzzaman, 2016)

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