Becoming someone new: identity theft behaviors by high school students
| Published date | 06 July 2015 |
| Date | 06 July 2015 |
| Pages | 318-328 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-09-2013-0056 |
| Author | Catherine D. Marcum,George E Higgins,Melissa L. Ricketts,Scott E Wolfe |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & Finance,Financial risk/company failure,Financial crime |
Becoming someone new: identity
theft behaviors by high school
students
Catherine D. Marcum
Department of Government and Justice Studies, Appalachian State
University, Boone, North Carolina, USA
George E. Higgins
Department of Justice Administration, University of Louisville, Louisville,
Kentucky, USA
Melissa L. Ricketts
Criminal Justice Department, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg,
Pennsylvania, USA, and
Scott E. Wolfe
Criminology and Criminal Justice Department,
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the gap in the literature by investigating the
identity theft behaviors of adolescents under the age of 18 and the predictors of these behaviors. To
better understand the predictors of hacking behaviors in young people, two criminological theories,
general theory of crime and social learning theory, are utilized.
Design/methodology/approach – A rural county in western North Carolina was chosen to
participate in the study. Principals of four high schools in this county agreed to participate. All 9th
through 12th graders were recruited for the study. Those who were given parental permission to
participate and gave their own assent were given a survey.
Findings – Results indicated that low self-control and deviant peer association were in fact associated
with identity theft behaviors of juveniles.
Originality/value – The literature is scant, if even existent, on research that investigates the identity
theft offending behaviors of juveniles.
Keywords Cybercrime, Identity theft, Juveniles
Paper type Research paper
Identity theft is the theft of a person’s identity through the use of personal identication
with the intention of fraudulent activity (Moore, 2011). The offender steals information
that is unique to the individual with the intention of assuming the identity of the victim
for their own personal gain. The Federal Trade Commission (2012) has estimated that
over 9 million people are victims of identity theft each year, and this form of
victimization can occur in two major ways. The rst method involves the offender
assuming the physical identity of the victim and posing as that person to obtain money
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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JFC
22,3
318
Journalof Financial Crime
Vol.22 No. 3, 2015
pp.318-328
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1359-0790
DOI 10.1108/JFC-09-2013-0056
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