Establishing a Theory of Cyber Crimes

I have developed a theory called ‘Space Transition Theory’ in order to explain the causation of crimes in the cyberspace. I felt the need for a separate theory of cyber crimes because the general theoretical explanations were found to be inadequate as an overall explanation for the phenomenon of cyber crimes (Jaishankar 2008). I have published this theory as a chapter in a book titled “Crimes of the Internet” edited by Frank Schmalleger & Michael Pittaro, published by Prentice Hall (2008: 283-301). "Space Transition Theory” is an explanation about the nature of the behavior of the persons who bring out their conforming and non-conforming behavior in the physical space and cyberspace (Jaishankar 2008). Space transition involves the movement of persons from one space to another (e.g., from physical space to cyberspace and vice versa). Space transition theory argues that, people behave differently when they move from one space to another.