Amidst the sensationalist claims about the dangers of the Internet, Virtually Criminal provides an empirically grounded criminological analysis of deviance and regulation within an online community. It integrates theory and empiricism to forge an explanation of cybercrime whilst offering new insights into online regulation. One of the first studies to further our understanding of the causes of cyber deviance, crime and its control, this groundbreaking study from Matthew Williams takes the Internet as a site of social and cultural (re)production, and acknowledges the importance of online social/cultural formations in the genesis and regulation of cyber deviance and crime. A blend of criminological, sociological and linguistic theory, this book provides a unique understanding of the aetiology of cybercrime and deviance. Focus group and offence data are analyzed and an interrelationship between online community, deviance and regulation is established. The subject matter of the book is inherently transnational. It makes extensive use of a number of international case studies, ensuring it is relevant to readers in multiple countries (especially the US, the UK and Australasia). Pioneering and innovative, this fascinating book will be of interest to students and researchers across the disciplines of sociology, criminology, law and media and communication studies.
Author(s): Matthew Williams
Edition: 1
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 208
Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
Figures......Page 10
Acknowledgements......Page 11
1 Introduction......Page 12
2 The Internet, crime and society......Page 21
3 Control in cyberspace......Page 45
4 Establishing online community......Page 57
5 Online deviance......Page 81
6 The mechanics of online harmful activity......Page 109
7 Order in cyberspace......Page 123
8 Community, deviance and regulation beyond Cyberworlds......Page 151
Appendix 1: Statement by the Electronic Frontier Foundation......Page 161
Appendix 2: Researching the Cyberworlds environment......Page 164
Appendix 3: Cyberworlds conduct and content guidelines......Page 166
Appendix 4: Cyberworlds newsgroup charter......Page 169
Appendix 5: Peacekeepers guidelines on ejection......Page 172
Appendix 6: Actions that can be taken by Peacekeepers......Page 174
Appendix 7: Peacekeeper CORE website......Page 175
Appendix 8: Peacekeeper Special Response Team web page......Page 176
Appendix 9: Peacekeeper Academy web page......Page 177
Glossary......Page 178
Notes......Page 184
Bibliography......Page 187
Index......Page 200
