The interface between homicide and the Internet. A classification

Publication date: Available online 21 August 2019Source: Aggression and Violent BehaviorAuthor(s): M.C.A. Liem, M.E.F. GeelenAbstractIt has been argued that the Internet presents numerous new opportunities for crime, including homicide. So far, empirical scholarly research in this domain is rather limited. In order to discover how perpetrators have used the Internet in the homicides they have committed, we conducted an international newspaper search (2006–2017). Based on this analysis, we identify five distinct types of Internet use in homicides, namely Internet as an encyclopedia, Internet as a platform, Internet as a trigger, Internet as a market place, and Internet as a meeting place. Our findings indicate that these types do not significantly differ from key characteristics of homicides in general to the degree that they constitute unique forms of homicide. Rather, Internet-related homicides constitute a replication, or facilitation of already existing forms of homicide assisted through new technological means.

Source: Aggression and Violent Behavior - August 23, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research