Examining Cyberstalking Victimization Using Routine Activities and Lifestyle-routine Activities Theories: A Critical Literature Review

Lifestyle and routine activities models are often used in criminological research to examine crime victimization. Routine activities and lifestyle-routine activities theories both propose crime occurs when there is a physical convergence of time and space between a motivated offender and a suitable target, with the absence of a capable guardian. However, crimes committed in cyberspace are without the proposed physical interaction. Due to the emergence of the Internet, stalking victimization has been rapidly occurring in the realm of cyberspace, which is a disorganized environment for crime to occur. In this critical literature review, a review of pertinent research will be detailed discussing the use of routine activities and lifestyle-routine activities framework, the theories’ key concepts and operationalizations used in cyberstalking research today, and the methods and research findings examining the theories adaptability to cyberspace. This critical literature review will conclude with suggestions for future research relating to routine activities and lifestyle-routine activities models on cyberstalking scholarship