Objective: Legal literacy-defined as the capacity to comprehend and apply legal norms across diverse social contexts-has become increasingly critical in the digital sphere, where it serves as a primary mechanism for preventing cybercrimes and safeguarding user rights. This study aimed to develop a substantive model for enhancing the legal literacy of Iranian users as a strategy for cybercrime prevention.
Method: Employing a qualitative research design, this investigation utilized the systematic grounded theory approach as articulated by Strauss and Corbin. The participant cohort comprised 23 academic and professional experts specializing in law, cyber criminology, FATA police, information technology, and media studies. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted between October 2023 and June 2024 and were subsequently analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding procedures.
Results: The findings indicate that the outcomes of enhanced legal literacy can be categorized into three principal dimensions: (a) legal–security outcomes in cyberspace, encompassing a reduction in cybercrime incidence, diminished data misuse, and increased public trust; (b) psychological–social outcomes, including improved psychological security and decreased perceptions of insecurity; and (c) behavioral and performance-related outcomes, comprising a decline in risky online behaviors and an increase in responsible digital participation.
Conclusions: The analytical process yielded a paradigm model delineating causal conditions, contextual factors, intervening variables, strategies, and consequences, with the core category identified as "digital legal literacy enhancement as a mechanism for cybercrime prevention." The results underscore that sustained legal education, public awareness campaigns, legal reforms, the development of educational and legal infrastructures, and institutional collaboration are instrumental in strengthening users' legal literacy. These measures, in turn, are posited to promote responsible digital behaviors and contribute to more effective cybercrime prevention among Iranian users.