Crime and Deviance in Esports: A Routine Activities Theory Approach

Abstract

Esports popularity exploded in the last decade. The safety of its participants, many of them children, is under threat crime and deviance. This article examines crime and deviance in the esports playground from the lens of Routine Activities Theory, a criminological theory that recognizes the importance of guardianship in reducing crime, where weak guardianship results in higher likelihood of crime and in spaces where there simultaneously exist motivated offenders and attractive targets. This article contributes to a better understanding of the digital playground of esports by applying a theoretical framework from criminology to games and play phenomena. Examining the esports playground from this perspective reveals that the incidents of crime and deviance occurring can be explained by weak guardianship. This criminal justice perspective applied to play phenomena is almost nonexistent, and as such this article establishes a necessary foundation for future research and exploration in multiple disciplines.