Crimes without a body: reflections on a case series of online crimes

TL;DR

This paper explores how online crimes often lack a physical component, leading to altered perceptions and potentially harmful behaviors.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel perspective on the transition from real to virtual worlds in the context of online aggression.

Findings

Online crimes often lack a physical body, altering emotional regulation and perceptions.

Self or other-directed aggression can emerge from distorted experiences in virtual environments.

Three case studies demonstrate the transition dynamics between real and virtual worlds.

Abstract

There is a large volume of online crimes. The aim of this work is to reflect on virtual crimes that are apparently different but actually have commonalities. In these cases, the corporeal sphere that mediates interpersonal relationships is absent, and perceptions of the real world and emotional regulation may be altered, which poses the risk of destructive behaviours. From this standpoint, self/hetero-directed aggression is the result of a certain type of transition from the real to the virtual world, where the body either is not involved at all or is experienced in an aberrant manner. In this study, we present three cases that clearly illustrate this concept.