Cybercrime in criminology; A systematic review of criminological theories, methods, and concepts

Abstract

As the incidences of traditional crime rates have begun to decline, there has been a surge and shift in the kinds of criminal activities perpetuated by individuals. The recent shift in criminal activities includes organized crime, white-collar crime, and cybercrime.The increased use and access to digital space have influenced the prevalence of cyber-criminal behavior over time. This issue has led scholars in allied fields such as computer science, psychology, law, and economics, to understand the prevalence, causes, and impact of cybercrime. In the last decades, the field of criminology has used its concepts and theories to explain the issues of cybercrime. This study uses the PRISMA systematic review model to examine criminological studies in cybercrime,identifying approaches in conceptualization, operationalization, use of data and analysis, and the application of this subject, etc. This systematic review will advance the growing field of cybercrime and will help the criminological scholarship in understanding the gaps that exist and help policymakers keep up with development and implement evidence-based solutions in tackling cybercrime.