Can Legal Sanctions Reduce Cyberviolence? How Changes in Cost-Benefit Calculations and Norm Neutralizations Affect Self-Censorship

Abstract

This study examines whether and how legal sanctions help reduce cyberviolence. Interviews were conducted with offenders who were legally sanctioned for posting criminal online comments in Switzerland. The results of the thematic analysis indicate that offenders self-censor after facing legal sanctions. This is explained with reference to rational choice theory and neutralization theory. The study contributes to the hitherto lacking knowledge about the effectiveness of legal countermeasures against cyberviolence.