A lifestyle-routine activity theory (LRAT) approach to cybercrime victimization: An empirical assessment of SNS lifestyle exposure activities

The Internet and all of its possibilities and applications have changed individuals' lifestyles in relation to socializing, working, and how they spend their leisure time. Social networking sites (SNSs), such as Facebook or Instagram, are ideal settings for interacting with others but, unfortunately, they are also ideal settings for motivated offenders to commit cybercrimes. Thus SNS users may be more vulnerable to cybercrime. The purpose of this study is to investigate the occurrence of cybercrime victimization, specifically cyber-harassment, cyber-impersonation, and hacking. Self-report surveys collected from a sample of 147 respondents were examined using the moderated multiple regression analysis and a logistic regression analysis to determine possible relationships between SNS lifestyle exposure activities and cybercrime victimization. The results indicate moderate support for the application of lifestyle-routine activity theory (LRAT) to cybercrime victimization. Possible educational and managerial implications, as well as suggestions for future research, are discussed.