ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN ORGANISED CRIME AND FAMILIAL ADJUSTMENT

Abstract

The social media problem has emerged as a relevant domain of social media for digital crime exposure and family functioning, but these aspects have not yet been analyzed jointly within an empirical model. The relationships between problematic social media usage, exposure to organized criminal activity, cyber-enabled criminal activity, and familial adjustment were examined in the current study with the help of 320 respondents. A quantitative cross sectional design was used. Problematic social media use was evaluated using six indicators of problematic use, namely: excessive usage, preoccupation, withdrawal, and the use of social media to avoid situations that are normally social.Crime exposure was evaluated using eight indicators of suspicious or criminal internet use, and familial adjustment was evaluated using ten items that cover: communication, bonding, support, trust, conflict, shared time, role adjustment, and harmony. The relationships between the main variables were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, chi-square tests and multiple regression. Crime exposure (r = .413, p < .001) and familial adjustment (r = −.543, p < .001) were positively and negatively associated with problematic social-media use, respectively. The level of familial adjustment was also found to be negatively correlated with crime exposure (r = −.334, p < .001). The results of regression models confirmed that problematic social-media-use was a significant predictor of higher levels of crime exposure, whereas problem use and crime exposure were significant predictors of poor familial adjustment independently. The results suggest that there is a relationship between problematic digital engagement, increased vulnerability to harmful digital environments, and decreased family functioning at the same time. The strategies should, therefore, incorporate aspects of cyber-risk awareness, responsible use of social media, and the incorporation of communication support within the family.