ABSTRACT
The age of a typical cybercriminal is decreasing, and more research is needed to facilitate youth safety online and prevent young people from being drawn into risky, harmful, or criminal behaviours across public and immersive digital spaces. Young people are said to experience the Internet as a ‘potentially criminogenic medium’. The scope of cybercrime is unfathomable, and a better understanding of the drivers behind youth cybercrime is essential for tackling this growing cybercrime epidemic. This chapter serves as an introduction and underpins the following chapters of this book, introducing the multi-disciplinary approach, research aims, and design of the largest European H2020 study of youth cybercrime undertaken to date. This book seeks to address critical gaps in knowledge, support evidence-based interventions, and inform future digital safety and prevention strategies by bringing together research, policy discussions, and the voices of experts, convicted cybercriminals, and young people. This book is intended for academics, frontline professionals, policymakers, child protection professionals, law enforcement, and technology developers committed to creating safer digital environments for children and young people.
