Book Review: Catherine Davis Marcum Adolescent Online Victimization: A Test of Routine Activities Theory El Paso, TX: LFB Scholarly, LLC., 2009, 271 pp. $75.00. ISBN 978-1-59332-345-5

• Published date: 01 December 2010
• Author: Lisa S. Nored
• Date: 01 December 2010
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016810364505
• Subject Matter: Articles

he notes that although these two phenomena have traditionally been considered separately, they

should be seen as common instances of what he refers to as contractual governance. This is in

essence an emerging technique of social control. Crawford’s central argument is that these practices

should be understood within the context of broader shifts in technologies of control that are within

and beyond formal systems of criminal justice. Of particular value is his trenchant discussion of the

ways in which conventional criminology underplays the influence of informal controls on crime.

Also significant is his critique of the contractualization of social life, with a particular focus on its

negative impact on youth.

Among the strengths of this book are its focus on the role of media as a force that shapes crime

control policy, its use of historical examples and analyses, and its insistence on the importance of

theory in policy analysis and evaluation. An additional strength is the book’s informative discussions

of the evolution of these policies. The attempts by contributors to situate these developments within

the framework of broader social and economic change represent a particular strength.

The book would have benefited from a concluding chapter that attempted to tie the contributions

together more tightly, thereby drawing out more explicitly the practical and theoretical linkages

between crime prevention, surveillance, and restorative justice. While the metaphor of social tech-

nology is a useful strategy to attempt to link these phenomena, a concluding chapter would have

enhanced as well as more clearly delineated the book’s overall strategy. Furthermore, the treatment

of the topics is somewhat imbalanced, in that four chapters are devoted to restorative justice with

only two devoted to surveillance.

Wide ranging, with diverse and well-written chapters, this book addresses important develop-

ments in criminal justice policy. It is well organized, timely, and accessible to a number of audi-

ences. It will be of particular interest to criminologists, criminal justice practitioners, scholars

with an interest in criminal justice policy, and those interested in social control. It will also be useful

to advanced students in criminal justice, criminology, and policy studies.

Catherine Davis Marcum

Adolescent Online Victimization: A Test of Routine Activities Theory El Paso,

TX: LFB Scholarly, LLC., 2009, 271 pp. $75.00. ISBN 978-1-59332-345-5

Reviewed by: Lisa S. Nored, University of Southern Mississippi, USA

DOI: 10.1177/0734016810364505

The widespread use of cyberspace for both communication and entertainment presents unique

and unprecedented safety and security challenges. These challenges are increasingly complex when

children and adolescents are involved. Parents, policy makers, and legislators continue to struggle

with balancing the need for access to modern technology with the safety and security of underage

users. Electronic mail, social networking sites, online gaming, and shopping provide a multitude

of opportunities for youth to connect to strangers with little supervision. In turn, the convergence

of access and anonymity creates a unique opportunity for the victimization of children.

Online victimization has become increasingly common and is now garnering scholarly attention.

In Adolescent Online Victimization: A Test of Routine Activities Theory, Catherine Marcum fills a

void in the existing literature regarding those behaviors and activities that may influence online vic-

timization. Previous studies are largely descriptive or not grounded in theory. In contrast, Marcum

uses routine activities theory as the framework to guide her research.

Routine activities theory has long been used to examine various forms of victimization and in

light of its tenets, seems particularly appropriate for the current study. Routine activities theory

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