Bright teenagers who view hacking as a form of “problem solving” — such as changing school grades or bypassing filters — are inadvertently drifting into serious criminal careers involving fraud and revenge porn.
Research from the University of East London (UEL), based on interviews with convicted cybercriminals in the UK and Switzerland, reveals a “slippery slope” in which early, seemingly harmless digital experimentation blurs into serious offending before the perpetrator realises they have crossed a legal threshold.
The findings, published in a new book by Professor Julia Davidson OBE and Dr Ruby Farr, show that nearly half (47 per cent) of convicted cybercriminals engaged in illegal online behaviour from a young age.
The ‘accidental’ criminal
Many participants described a gradual progression. What started as digital piracy or gaming cheats evolved into identity theft and financial fraud.
One participant detailed how he began by hacking his school’s network at age 14: “I used to get in to mark my homework as done, and I would vary the grades realistically too, so it didn’t look suspicious,” he told researchers. “I started seeing tech as a useful problem solver.”
However, this “problem-solving” mindset often blinds young people to the severity of their actions until it is too late.
“Don’t tarnish your reputation – it will never disappear,” another participant reflected. “I really didn’t get the implications when I was younger. Now my Criminal Records Bureau check looks horrendous. I can never have a mortgage now.”
The study also uncovered distinct gender patterns in digital offending. While males were more likely to engage in high-risk behaviour overall (73.6 per cent compared to 64.6 per cent of females), the types of offences differed significantly.
Men were far more likely to commit online hate speech and revenge pornography. However, women were slightly more likely than men to engage in “cyber-stalking” behaviours, such as tracking someone online (27.1 per cent vs 26.7 per cent).
A societal approach
The National Crime Agency (NCA), which collaborated on the research, emphasised that early intervention is critical to divert skilled young people into legal tech careers rather than criminal activity.
“This research is another important reminder of how vital it is to engage with young people at an early age,” said Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit.
“The NCA-led Cyber Choices campaign is a crucial programme, providing young people with the support and encouragement they need to use their cyber skills positively… instead of criminality.”
