Cyber technology has significantly increased the likelihood and impact of interactions between offenders and victims. That interaction may come in several forms, some of which include cyber fraud, cyber bullying, or Internet sex crimes. This is important, because likelihood and impact are generally associated with risk, where greater likelihood and impact increases the opportunity for an undesired outcome, especially when it is applied to cybervictimization. The increase in likelihood can be attributed to a variety of reasons including increased access, lack of boundaries, an emboldening of the offender and an offender’s ability to masquerade or maintain anonymity. When considering impact, cyber technology causes real and lasting damage due to its ability for increased distribution and the permanent nature of the distributed information.

When considering likelihood, cyber technology emboldens an offender by removing the necessity for a physical presence when they victimize someone. This lack of a presence requirement not only makes the offender “braver” when committing an attack, but it gives them a sense of protection due to the virtual nature of a cyber interaction. Additionally, they can hide their identity by “masquerading” or pretending to be someone else, which allows them to maintain anonymity. This means that many people who may have not committed fraud, bullying, or sex crimes due to the risk associated with a physical presence at a crime scene, may succumb to their desires absent of that risk. In addition, likelihood can be associated with access to victims. The Internet, and its plethora of social media and communications tools, gives an offender worldwide access to potential victims, meaning they can reach across state and national borders. They can potentially access all ages, genders, and nationalities, many of which are vulnerable to these types of digital attacks.

The impact of this victimization is immeasurable due to the permanent nature of the Internet. When considering bullying or sex crimes, offenders can upload very damaging information (whether true or untrue), pictures, or videos of their victims. Those damaging uploads will have widespread dissemination, cause great embarrassment, and become permanent. Offenders will lure innocent, unsuspecting, and/or helpless victims to commit fraud, bullying, or sex crimes, again causing the aforementioned strife for the victim. In some cases, the damage may be financial or maybe even the inconvenience of repairing damages. Of even greater concern is the offender’s potential permanent damage to a victim through emotional or potential self-inflicted physical damage to themselves. Another potential risk that cyber technology provides is recruitment for terrorism. With worldwide access to potential candidates, terrorists will seek out people who display various traits that make them vulnerable to recruitment.

Regardless to the crime, cyber technology guarantees two outcomes. One, the quantity of cyber specific crimes will much higher than those related traditional crimes. Two, the permanent nature of the damage is immeasurable; thereby ensuring it will have significant impact.