Clustering Cyberspace Population and the tendency to Commit Cyber Crime: A Quantitative Application of Space Transition Theory

Space Transition Theory is one of the key theories that explain why people commit cyber crime. However, past research in the field has mainly used qualitative research methods. This is because there has been a lack of quantitative tools to measure the concept in a large-scale survey. This research proposes a measurement of attitudes towards cyberspace based on space transition theory. The analysis results identify the three factors in attitudes towards cyberspace, namely anonymity, freedom and insecurity, which are then used to classify 487 Thai respondents into five groups. The socio-demographic profiles and the tendency to commit crime-related behaviours in cyberspace compared to physical space are explored for each group. We find that freedom and anonymity are key factors in the behavioural intention to commit cyber crime. The results help us identify people who have the greatest tendency to commit cyber crime. This allows us to make recommendations for law amendments and prosecution improvements.