Internet crime and deviance may not be a subject many know about, but one Baker University professor has demonstrated his knowledge by publishing a journal article
Senior Britt Strick said she admires Buzzell’s research.
“I think it’s great what he’s doing,” she said. “He’s doing research with a lot of things a lot of people wouldn’t talk about, like pornography. He’s helping to educate people on problems with Internet.”
Buzzell’s studies do not focus simply on the Internet deviance of pornography, but also on Internet crime and fraud.
“Yes, we should all be concerned (about Internet crime), but all of us are more likely to be victimized by Internet fraud,” he said. “We need to know what kinds of criminals we are dealing with.”
He said sociologists could play an important role in Internet crime.
“It just seems we need to use social sciences to better understand Internet crime and deviance and to create effective policies,” he said.
Buzzell said the interest in computer crime has led to a Baker class focusing on computer crime and deviances. Strick is enrolled in that class.
“I do think Internet crime is a problem considering how much use there is with
Internet crime like stalking and harassment,” she said. “I think as college students it’s something we should be aware of.”
The class is conducting a study about Facebook use. Strick said Facebook could be a risk because many people do not change their privacy settings, allowing others to see their class schedules, contact information and physical addresses.
“We’re surveying our campus, and we’re going to try to survey a couple of other campuses,” she said. “(The survey) has a bunch of questions about stalking and harassment. We’re focusing on if you’ve ever been harassed or how often you get unwanted messages.”
Strick said the class also deals with other computer crimes.
“We’re going over Internet fraud dealing with identity theft, and I think that’s
something that a lot of people don’t realize happens, but it’s happened on Baker’s campus before,” she said.
Junior Kelly Ochs is not in the computer crime class, but recognizes the importance of Buzzell’s work.
“I think it’s really interesting, and I think it’s very important to us, especially now that technology is beginning to be the foundation of everything,” Ochs said.
Buzzell’s research received national attention when he was contacted by
Cosmopolitan magazine. Buzzell said he thinks the magazine stays informed about issues featured in the Journal of Sexuality and Culture, where his article was first
published.
“I imagine the magazine regularly reads the journal,” he said. “Apparently the reporter from Cosmopolitan contacted (Baker Public Relations Director) Steve Rottinghaus … and then he was put through to me.”
Buzzell gave the reporter information about the percentage of males who use
online pornography. The data appears at the bottom of page four in the November
Cosmo Men section of Cosmopolitan and is attributed to the National Opinion Research Center.
Ochs was pleased the information made it to the magazine, even if in a small way.
“To have great research that is usually just for those in that discipline available for people not in that discipline is amazing,” she said.