Cybercrime target exposure, suitability, personality, and victimization: A longitudinal approach

Abstract

This study utilizes the routine activity theory as a framework to examine if workplace social media usage, compulsive internet use, online aggression and personality traits are related to an elevated risk of cybervictimization. We leveraged 7-wave longitudinal survey data from the Finnish working population (N = 650) and employed multilevel, mixed-effects logistic regression to analyze fixed effects of in-between variables. Our findings reveal that target exposure, suitability and the personality trait of openness had a positive relationship with cybervictimization. We observed fluctuations in cybervictimization across the observation points, although the temporal pattern did not follow a linear trajectory. The results underscore the importance of longitudinal studies on victimization and advocate additional research on cybervictimization within the working population. This study also emphasizes the need for the integration of established theories to augment our comprehension of the fundamental factors influencing cybervictimization.