Biography
Dr. Rachel McNealey is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice with her Ph.D. in Criminology from Penn State University. Her research focuses on correlates of cybercrime and cybervictimization, including how offline characteristics influence digital crime experiences. She has designed multiple surveys measuring cybercrime in the United States that span offending, victimization, reporting, and fear of crime. Her work has been published in the Journal of Criminal Justice, the Journal of Experim
Read moreEducation
PhD 2023, The Pennsylvania State University
MS 2019, The University of Alabama
BA 2017, The University of Alabama
Publications
Cui, K., & McNealey, R. (2026). Playing it Safe: Comparing Online Precautionary Measures of Cyber Offenders and Victims. Victims & Offenders, 1–21.
McNealey, R. L., Figueroa, C., & Burden, M. (2026). Identifying cross-contextual fear of crime: A comparison of the victimisation-fear relationship between offline and online contexts. Global Crime, 27(2–3), 218–241.
Krupa, J. M., Holt, T. J., Fisher, T., McNealey, R. L., & Holt, K. (2026). Cybercrime and Cyber Investigations: Development of a Training Curriculum for Law Enforcement Personnel. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 37(2), 232–255.
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Read moreResearch and Grants
Co-Investigator, Addressing cybercrime training and preparedness for the state of Michigan, U.S. Department of Education. (2024-2027).
Wilcox, P., & McNealey, R. (2021). Reactions to the threat of crime in offline and online spaces. Study 00018604. Survey Dataset.