News Release 

Decoding how kids get into hacking

New research is first to uncover gender-specific traits leading boys and girls to hacking

Michigan State University


IMAGE: Thomas Holt, professor in the School of Criminal Justice, focuses his research on computer hacking, malware and the role of the internet in facilitating all manner of crime and deviance. view more 

Credit: Michigan State University


"We know much about the scope of hacking and its threat, but the problem is that we don't know exactly when and how hacking behavior starts," said Thomas Holt, lead author and MSU cybercrime expert in the School of Criminal Justice. "There is a general understanding that hacking starts in the early teens but until now, we weren't clear on background factors, such as behavioral issues, the impact of social connections or personality traits. Our findings pointed us in the direction of thinking that there are gendered pathways to hacking."


"We found that predictors of juvenile delinquency, like low self-control - so, not having the ability to hold back when opportunity presents itself - are big factors for computer hacking for both boys and girls," Holt said. "But for girls, peer associations mattered more. If she has friends who shoplift or engage in petty forms of crime, she's more likely to be influenced to hack as well. For boys, we found that time spent watching TV or playing computer games were associated with hacking."





In the 1980s and 1990s, juvenile hacking was mostly limited to gaming purposes, and even now most initial cybercrime isn't serious, such as getting into Facebook or email accounts, Holt said.

"The initial attempts might not be serious, but without supervision and low self-control, it's likely they got a taste for what they might be able to accomplish by taking their hacking abilities further," Holt said. "And while low self-control plays a huge role with kids and teens, some of them mature as they age and can sit for hours, which gives them time to refine the skills of a sophisticated hacker."

It's important for parents to understand their kids' tech-savviness and habits to help guide them on a path that uses their skills in a more positive way.

"Parents shouldn't assume that having a kid with sophisticated technological competency is always totally fine," Holt said. "Finding others in the field - like those you'd meet in a robotics club or attending something like the DefCon conference - is vital for kids to learn about using their skills in a positive way and for staving off bad behaviors," Holt said. "Cybercrime can be a hidden problem, so talking is vital. The more you can understand what they're doing, the easier you can flag something that might be off and curtail activity."




