Examining and Analyzing the Dimensions of Digital Crimes from the Perspective of the Mental Element
Keywords:
Digital crimes, mental element, criminal motivations, cognitive capacity, social skills, deception, criminal policy, cyber preventionAbstract
With the expansion of information and communication technologies and the formation of cyberspace, digital crimes have become one of the most complex social, economic, and security threats. Unlike traditional crimes, these offenses lack a physical nature and encompass a wide range of victims and harms. The present study aims to analyze the psychological dimensions of digital crimes, focusing on offenders’ motivations, cognitive capacities, and social and deceptive skills. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical method based on library and documentary studies, and the data have been collected from domestic and international scholarly articles, specialized books, laws, and transnational documents. The findings indicate that economic, social, psychological, and political motivations; cognitive capacities such as risk analysis and strategic planning; and social skills and deceptive techniques play a decisive role in the success of digital crimes. These dimensions interact with one another, and without a comprehensive analysis of them, preventive and punitive policies will remain ineffective. Based on the findings, the development of psychological frameworks, reform of criminal laws, design of cybercriminal behavior analysis systems, and expansion of interdisciplinary research—particularly in response to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and the metaverse—are essential for effective prevention and mitigation of the harms caused by digital crimes.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mehdi Shabanzadeh; Farzin Shakouri (Author)
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