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Digital Vigilantism and the Pursuit of Child Sex Offenders: Legal, Ethical, and Social Implications
Criminal Justice Studies invites submissions for a forthcoming special issue exploring the phenomenon of digital vigilantism in the context of child sex offender detection and exposure. Specifically, this issue will focus on citizen-led efforts to identify, confront, and publicly broadcast alleged child predators through online sting operations and social media platforms. These groups, sometimes referred to as “predator catchers,” blur the lines between justice and spectacle, activism and vigilantism, raising pressing questions about legality, due process, ethics, and the role of informal actors in criminal justice.
This special issue aims to provide a scholarly forum for examining the rise, reach, and ramifications of these practices. We welcome theoretical, empirical, and interdisciplinary work from scholars in criminology, criminal justice, law, digital media studies, sociology, and related disciplines.
Topics of Interest Include (but are not limited to):
- The rise and organizational dynamics of citizen-led predator-catching groups
- Legal and constitutional challenges of digitally mediated sting operations
- The impact of digital vigilantism on formal law enforcement and prosecution efforts
- Ethical dilemmas and unintended consequences for victims, offenders, and participants
- Public perception and media framing of citizen-led predator stings
- Masculinity, performance, and the branding of justice on digital platforms
- Comparative analyses of extralegal justice movements across time and space
- Policy implications and potential pathways for regulation or oversight
Submission Timeline:
- Call for Papers Released: October 2025
- Full Manuscripts Due: May 1, 2026
- Peer Review Period: May–August 2026
- Anticipated Publication: Late 2026
Manuscripts should be submitted through the Criminal Justice Studies online portal and must adhere to the journal’s formatting and style guidelines. Instructions for Authors Here.
Please indicate in your cover letter that the manuscript is intended for the special issue on Digital Vigilantism. For inquiries about the special issue, please contact the guest editors.
Danielle J.S. Bailey, PhD Jennifer L. Wooldridge, PhD
University of Texas at Tyler University of Texas at Tyler
dbailey@uttyler.edu jwooldridge@uttyler.edu
903.566.7432 903.566.7438