The Impact of Low Self-control on Past and Future Cyber Offending

The expansion of the Internet and personal technology devices has been coupled with the development and increase in cyber offending behaviors. In response, a growing body of literature has sought to extend the application of traditional criminological theories to cyber offending to determine if they explain this new crime type in a similar manner. This paper utilizes an undergraduate student sample (n=428) to examine the effects of self-control on a variety of self-reported cyber offenses as well as anticipated cyber offending behaviors. Findings indicate that while self-control was not significantly predictive of past participation in cyber offending, there is a significant impact of low self-control on anticipated participation in both digital piracy as well as a general measure of cyber offending behaviors.