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Article
More Than Just Friends: Online Social Networks and Offending
Criminal Justice Review (2014)
  • Timothy McCuddy, University of Missouri–St. Louis
  • Matt Vogel, University of Missouri–St. Louis
Abstract
The study of peer-group processes has a rich history in criminology. The dramatic growth in online social network websites has fundamentally changed peer-group interaction; however, relatively little research has considered how socialization processes observed in traditional interaction translate to online interaction. Using a sample of 583 undergraduate students from a mid-southern university, this study explores the concurrency between self-reported offending and exposure to criminal behavior in social network websites. Results demonstrate a strong, positive association between individual behavior and exposure to criminal behavior in online networks, suggesting that the processes underlying traditional social interaction also characterize online interaction. These results underscore the importance of online networks for understanding the etiology of criminal behavior.
Disciplines
Publication Date
November 4, 2014
DOI
10.1177/0734016814557010
Citation Information
Timothy McCuddy and Matt Vogel. "More Than Just Friends: Online Social Networks and Offending" Criminal Justice Review Vol. 40 Iss. 2 (2014) p. 169 - 189
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/matthew-vogel/14/