The psychological profile of an extremist criminal and his potential victim in cyberspace

The work is devoted to the problems of involving people in extremist activities and their transformation into extremists . There is a growth and variety of forms of this kind of crimes . This illegal activity is currently acquiring a new threatening character, associated with scientific and technological progress, the active use of technical means of communication in everyday activities, and the creation of new information spaces for communication between people . Such conditions make it possible not only to spread extremist ideas, but also to involve and recruit new followers in this activity . Considering persons involved in extremist activities through recruitment as victims of a crime, the author analyzes the reasons, primarily psychological, that contribute to the success of recruitment . On the example of modern interaction, mediated by technical means of communication and implemented in a virtual information environment, the specific features of user communication and their self-presentation, which are reflected in the behavior in the “network”, are considered . Technical mediation, remoteness, conditional anonymity and, as a result, relative safety directly affect the nature of perception, comprehension and actions of a person in a virtual environment . The feeling of security of communication in the information space can contribute to more risky behavior of a person . The listed conditions, according to the author, create the prerequisites for more effective recruitment activities carried out by extremists, i .e . the process of victimization, the transition of a person from a potential victim of a crime to a real victim, becomes more likely . Ways are proposed to prevent the involvement of users of information means of communication in extremist activities .