Digital darkside: What makes people cross the border?

AAU Excellence participant will create knowledge that can contribute to a more gender-specific understanding of digital victimization and deviance among young people.

How do young people experience crime and abuse in an increasingly digital world, and are there gender differences? These questions are central to Serena Yunran Zhang's research. 

As part of the AAU Excellence Program, Serena Yunran Zhang will investigate how and why young people engage in deviant behaviour online and become victims of digital abuse. While social media, online gaming and digital communication have become central parts of young people's lives, they have also created new opportunities for harmful behaviour such as cyberbullying, online harassment, hacking and sharing of intimate images without consent. For example, we see how young girls share intimate photos on platforms such as Snapchat. Often this is done under pressure or without fully foreseeing the consequences, and the images are then spread further without their consent.

"I hope that my research can help improve our understanding of how family, school, peers and digital environments affect young people's online lives. The overall goal is to create knowledge that can help researchers, educators, parents and decision-makers create safer digital environments for youth," she says.

Follows people through their struggles

Why do people behave differently when they are in similar situations? Why do some people get involved in crime while others do not? These questions have always occupied Serena Yunran Zhang, and this led her to criminology where she examines how social structures, family relationships, friend groups and life experiences shape people's paths into and out of crime.

"I do research on gendered experiences with drug use and addiction. Through this work, I have met people who struggle with pain, desire, rationality, hope, and the pursuit of happiness. And I have seen how these struggles can lead not only to crime, imprisonment, loss and death, but also to recovery, resilience and new beginnings."

Following people through their struggles has taught Serena Yunran Zhang that criminology is not just about understanding crime, but also about understanding humanity. It is a realization that also has personal resonance for her.

"The study of crime and deviance often means confronting some of the darkest sides of human life. It reminds me of a famous quote by the Chinese poet Gu Cheng: "The dark night gave me dark eyes, but I use them to seek the light," she says. 

Gender-specific understanding of crime and deviance

According to Serena Yunran Zhang, many criminological theories have primarily been developed based on men's experiences. Through her own research on gender and addiction, she has become increasingly aware of how often women's and girls' experiences are given less weight in understanding crime and deviance. At the same time, digital technologies have changed young people's lives. 

"After moving to Denmark, which is one of the world's most equal and digitalized societies, I saw an opportunity to bring these observations together: How well do our existing theories explain young people's behaviour in the digital age, and do they work equally well for boys and girls? This has become the central focus of my research. By studying online deviance and victimization among youth, I hope to contribute to a more gender-specific understanding of crime and deviance," she says. 

Bringing an international perspective to Danish criminology

Working in different countries has shaped both Serena Yunran Zhang's research perspective and her professional development. She lived and completed her academic education in Hong Kong, and since moving to Denmark, has experienced two very different academic and social contexts. These international experiences have taught her that social problems often look very different depending on cultural and institutional settings. 

"I have met leading researchers in youth studies, cybercrime and comparative criminology. Through them, I have gained access to unique international datasets and developed research ideas that would not have been possible within one national context. As a researcher at AAU, these experiences make it possible for me to bring an international perspective to Danish criminology and at the same time bring Danish research into global discussions on youth, gender, crime and digitalization."

A stronger voice in the public debate 

Her vision for the future is to be recognized as a leading researcher in juvenile delinquency and victimization, particularly in relation to gender and digitalization. She aims to participate in international projects that examine youth behaviour and well-being, recognizing that this is essential to understanding how young people's experiences vary across cultures and generations. She also aspires to be a stronger voice in the Danish public debate on children, youth, gender equality and digital life. 

"I would like my research to help ensure that the experiences of girls and young women are no longer treated as a parallel perspective in our understanding of crime and victimization, but as an essential part of it. In this way, I hope to create knowledge that contributes to safer and more equal digital environments for future generations," she says.