Fear of Cyber Crime among College Students in the United States: An Exploratory Study

A literature review on fear of crime suggests perceived crime seriousness, perceived risk of victimization, and victimization experience as the three major predictors for fear of crime. In the present study I test these factors on cyber crimes as their relationships with fear of cyber crime are generally unexplored in the literature. Precisely, four cyber crimes are chosen, including online scam, cyber bullying, digital piracy, and computer virus. This study is the first study that takes into account of four types of cyber crime concurrently while addressing the relationship between fear of crime and the three major predictors. The findings suggest that fear of cyber crime does not always share the same predictors, depending on the crime. Internet use also plays a role in the fear of cyber crime.