Student Research Projects

Social Networking and Crime

Student Name(s)	Kaitlyn Dozier
Faculty Mentor(s)	Dr. Alison Marganski
Department	Criminal Justice
Course	CJ 250: Media & Crime

Abstract

Online social networking is an integral part of today’s society. Much face-to-face communication has been replaced by interactions among people on the Internet, through sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. As part of a participative web, these networks allow users to upload photos, post statuses about daily activities, and leave comments for others. With the emergence of an interactive web, the Internet experience has become progressively more personal which has increased user vulnerability. The use of social networking sites has led to more opportunity for criminal behavior online, including identity theft, abuse of location services, and cyber bullying.