CYBERCRIME AND SOCIAL ORDER: CRIMINOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN NETWORKED SOCIETIES
Indonesia 
Armenia Armenia 
Abstract
Cybercrime has become a major threat to social order as networked societies increasingly depend on digital platforms, financial systems, communication technologies, and data-driven services. This study aimed to examine how cybercrime affects perceived safety, institutional trust, digital participation, and confidence in social protection. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design combined survey data from 1,147 adult internet users, five years of institutional cybercrime records, structural equation modeling, multilevel analysis, interviews with 48 participants, and eight comparative case studies. Results showed that cybercrime victimization significantly increased fear, weakened institutional and platform trust, and encouraged withdrawal from digital financial, social, and public-service environments. Effective institutional response reduced these negative effects through timely communication, evidence preservation, coordinated intervention, and procedural fairness. Reporting remained limited because many victims expected no meaningful outcome, lacked evidence, or were uncertain about responsible institutions. Financial loss alone did not determine harm, as cyberstalking, identity misuse, and data exposure produced substantial psychological and social consequences. The study concludes that cybercrime should be understood as a multidimensional challenge to social order requiring coordinated governance among citizens, platforms, financial institutions, law-enforcement agencies, regulators, cybersecurity professionals, and victim-support services to preserve trust, safety, and participation in networked societies across increasingly complex global digital environments.
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