© 2013 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1460-3780 Crime Prevention and Community Safety Vol. 15, 1, 48–64 www.palgrave-journals.com/cpcs/ Original Article Applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour to predicting online safety behaviour Sarah Burns* and Lynne Roberts School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University , GPO Box U1987, Perth, 6845, Western Australia. E-mails: sarah.burns@curtin.edu.au; Lynne.Roberts@curtin.edu.au *Corresponding author. Abstract A widely promoted preventative measure against becoming a victim of cybercrime is the control of personal information online; however, little is known about what predicts the use of this type of protective safety behaviour. This study examines the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in predicting online protective behaviours. Participants ( N = 150) completed measures of online privacy attitudes, normative influ- ence, perceived behavioural control (PBC), intention to use and actual use of online pro- tective behaviours. Path analysis indicated the effects of online privacy attitudes and normative beliefs on online protective safety behaviours were mediated through inten- tion, while PBC had a significant direct effect on online protective safety behaviours. The model explained 81 per cent of the variance in protective online safety behaviours. The results of this study facilitate understanding of the psychological processes underlying the use of online protective behaviours, and can be used in the development of educa- tional materials and cyber-identity theft prevention strategies. Crime Prevention and Community Safety (2013) 15, 48–64. doi:10.1057/cpcs.2012.13 Keywords: cybercrime; online privacy; Theory of Planned Behaviour; cyber-victimization; protective behaviours; cyber-identity theft Introduction I ndividuals across the world are increasingly at risk of exploitation by criminals who facilitate illegal acts through the use of information technology, predominantly the Internet (Higgins and Blakely, 2010).