Virtually Criminal: Crime, Deviance and Regulation Online

Virtually Criminal: Crime, Deviance and Regulation Online examines the darker side of the Internet – cyber crime, illicit dealings, and the complex issues of control in cyberspace that are necessary to create a “safe” online community environment. Criminals are expanding their activities, using computers to launder money and target victims via the Internet. Williams discusses deviance and control in cyberspace along with the dangers of the Internet, such as the anonymity of the online arena that encourages risk taking (such as abusive language) in the virtual environment.

This volume is a theoretical and empirical study of regulation, both legislative and community based, within the social networks and communities in cyberspace. The author discusses the negative associations of virtual reality worlds, where online relationships are insincere, and occur at a fast pace without depth or meaning. Online deviance and antisocial behaviour are discussed in Chapter 5; these include harassment, profanity, flooding (unwanted messages), virtual vandalism, harassment, although abuse (“flaming”) and text‐based deviant behaviour are the most common type of negative behaviour. Cyberworlds are regulated by the “peacekeeper” (chat room moderators) who use techniques like lockdown, ejection from the virtual world for a set time, account closure, and, if all else fails, the peacekeeper sends a report to the ISP (Internet Service Provider).

With many references to academic studies Matthew Williams analyses cyberworlds and focuses on the social networks and community aspects of virtual worlds, especially anti‐social and deviant behaviour and how these activities can harm individuals. Cyberworlds using avatars (graphical three‐dimensional representations of people) have developed into popular forms of entertainment, where participants can immerse themselves for hours or even days in online communities, to the extent that virtual worlds impinge on their real lives. There has been a great deal of media attention focussed on virtual worlds in recent months, with popular sites including Second Life and Entropia Universe. Activities in virtual reality cyberworlds mimic those of the real world and include creating buildings, games and exploring, along with the celebration of events such as birthdays, weddings and funerals in cyberspace.

Matthew Williams is a lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University and has published a number of books on cyber crime and related areas, and he is an authority in the area of internet criminology. The conclusion drawn by the author is one of balance between external legal controls and self‐regulation from within the online community as a means to manage deviant behaviour using techniques like shaming and ostracism to control participants. The appendices include “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace” – an interesting document calling for freedom from regulation and restriction via government legislation. An extensive bibliography is included, covering a wide range of articles, law cases and books published over a century (from 1911 to 2006). A useful glossary is also included in the volume.

An informative and topical volume, this book would be suitable for academics in sociology and criminology and is well worth the investment if you have an academic interest in online regulation and virtual crime.