Legal and Psychological Analysis of Juvenile Criminal Responsibility in Cyberspace

The increasing engagement of adolescents in virtual environments has raised critical concerns regarding their criminal liability in cyberspace. Despite the growing prevalence of juvenile offenses online, there is a significant gap in integrating legal frameworks with psychological insights to comprehensively address this issue. This study aims to analyze the criminal responsibility of adolescents in cyberspace through a multidisciplinary lens combining legal analysis and psychological evaluation. Employing a mixed-methods approach, qualitative legal analysis was conducted alongside quantitative psychological assessments of adolescent cognitive and moral development, using validated scales and statistical tests including chi-square and logistic regression to examine correlations between psychological maturity and legal accountability. Results reveal that traditional legal criteria for criminal responsibility often overlook the nuanced psychological development stages of adolescents, leading to potential misjudgments in cyberspace-related offenses. The findings underscore the necessity of adapting legal standards to incorporate psychological maturity, promoting fairer judicial outcomes. This research contributes novel insights by proposing an integrated legal-psychological model for assessing juvenile cybercriminal liability, emphasizing the importance of developmental psychology in legal adjudication. The study advocates for policy reforms and tailored intervention programs that reflect adolescents’ cognitive and emotional capacities in virtual crime contexts. Ultimately, this work advances the understanding of juvenile justice in the digital era, offering a foundation for more effective, just, and rehabilitative approaches to adolescent cyber offenses.