Beyond Traditional Interaction: Exploring the functional form of the exposure-offending association across online network size

• Exposure to deviance in online social networks is associated with offline behavior
• The exposure-offending association is nonlinear, suggesting a saturation point
• This nonlinear association is contingent on network size
• Peer influences operates differently in online networks

PurposeAn emerging body of literature suggests online social networks (SNS) have the capacity to influence individual criminal behavior. However, there are fundamental differences between SNS and traditional peer groups. It is therefore likely that peer influence operates differently in SNS. The present study examines the role of network size and functional form of the relationship between individual and peer deviance in online networks.MethodsData for these analyses come from a survey of 583 undergraduates at a mid-southern university. Empirical analyses rely on a series of multivariate negative binomial regression models.ResultsFindings indicate there is a nonlinear relationship between exposure to criminal behavior online and self-reported offending. Network size moderates this relationship. Respondents embedded in the smallest networks exhibit a linear association between peer and individual behavior, while those in the largest networks display a saturation point, after which exposure to additional deviance becomes redundant.ConclusionsThe current study expands upon the emerging body of criminological research exploring the implications of online environments as venues for social learning. We showcase how processes of peer influence operate in online social networks and potentially affect criminal behavior.