Examining cybercrime victimisation among Turkish women using routine activity theory

Abstract

Over the last few decades, the rise in internet usage has led to a transition from traditional crimes to cybercrimes. Using data from a sample of 749 Turkish women, the current study applies the routine activity theory (RAT) framework, focusing on target suitability conceptualised as VIVA (value, inertia, visibility, and accessibility), to cybercrime victimisation, including cyberstalking, computer hacking, and credit card identity theft. This study is the first to adopt this framework to understand the patterns of victimisation of Turkish women-university students. The findings indicate that RAT may be useful regardless of the geographic location of the victim, routine activities that are risky for one type of cybercrime may be harmless in relation to another, RAT could be helpful when examining cybercrime victimisation with a gendered lens.