Fear of cybercrime victimisation: Examining the relationship between fear and victimisation

With the increased use of the internet, cybercrime has grown more prevalent. Simultaneously, fear of cybercrime has increased and warrants more attention in research. This article investigates the temporal relationship between cybercrime fear and victimisation. Quantitative data from Dutch adults (N = 1886), collected at two timepoints, 2019 and 2020, were used. Linear and logistic regression models were conducted to assess whether cybercrime victimisation impacts the fear of cybercrime and vice versa, and whether earlier fear and victimisation predict subsequent fear and victimisation.

Recent victimisation (within the last year) and previous fear of crime (measured one year before) were found to increase current fear of cybercrime, with previous fear being the strongest predictor. Fear of cybercrime did not significantly impact the risk of victimisation a year later. Notably, earlier victimisation predicted nearly five times higher risk of victimisation a year later. The results show that victimisation may increase fear. However, while fear could motivate people to self-protect, fear does not diminish risk of cybercrime victimisation. Furthermore, the research highlights the prevalence of revictimisation in cybercrime, emphasising the need to focus on previously victimised when designing interventions.