A Criminological Investigation into Differences between Dark Web Users and Non-Users

Authors

Raymond Douglas Partin, Florida International UniversityFollow

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

International Crime and Justice

First Advisor's Name

Ryan Meldrum

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee chair

Second Advisor's Name

Kristen Zgoba

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Third Advisor's Name

Stephen Pires

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Fourth Advisor's Name

Elisa Trucco

Fourth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Fifth Advisor's Name

Scott Belshaw

Fifth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Keywords

The Dark Web, cybercrime, cybercrime victimization, risky online behavior, low self-control, the Dark Triad, Dark Net, psychopathy

Date of Defense

6-30-2023

Abstract

Criminologists have become increasingly interested in the applicability of existing theoretical frameworks to explain the causes and patterns of cybercrime offending and victimization. Yet, research to date has focused almost exclusively on the causes and correlates of cybercrime offending and victimization in the context of the Surface Web. In contrast, little is known about the attitudes and behaviors of individuals who use the Dark Web and how they might differ from non-users. Using original data collected in 2022, I sought in this dissertation to advance this line of research by investigating differences between Dark Web users and non-users across five outcomes: low self-control, the Dark Triad of personality, cybercrime offending, cybercrime victimization, and risky online behavior. My results revealed that low self-control, psychopathy, and a global measure of the Dark Triad are positively associated with Dark Web use. Further, Dark Web users have a higher risk of cybercrime offending and a higher risk of engaging in risky online behavior, yet they exhibit a lower risk of cybercrime victimization. These findings demonstrate that constructs central to investigations of cybercrime offending and victimization on the Surface Web are suitable for the study of Dark Web users. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of these findings, limitations of the study, and directions for future research.

Identifier

FIDC011138

ORCID

0000-0002-1864-7115

Recommended Citation

Partin, Raymond Douglas, "A Criminological Investigation into Differences between Dark Web Users and Non-Users" (2023). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 5437.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/5437