Juvenile Crime Newsroom

Kids and Computer Crime

First, the enormous computing power of today's PCs make it possible for minors to commit offenses which are disproportionately serious to their age. For example, while property offenses committed by minors in the "brick and mortar" world typically include shoplifting or other forms of simple theft, the advent of computer technology has made it possible for minors in the "point and click" world to engage in highly complex fraud schemes. "Typical" computer crimes committed by minors include trading stolen credit card numbers and amassing thousands of dollars worth of fraudulent purchases on those cards, or large-scale pirating of copyrighted computer software which is later sold or bartered to other minors in exchange for other pirated software. A Canadian juvenile has already been held responsible for launching a massive denial of service attack costing American companies millions of dollars. Likewise, there is, in principle, no reason why a juvenile could not release a computer virus, infecting tens of thousands of computers, or engage in large scale securities manipulation, causing six and seven-figure damages to investors. Indeed, given the technological sophistication of today's youth (evident to any parent who has relied on their fourteen year-old to set up the family computer), it is possible for a teenager to commit computer-related property offenses on a scale to which, prior to the 1980's, only seasoned veterans of the criminal justice system could aspire.

Second, the ability of a juvenile to portray himself or herself as an adult in the online world means that juveniles have access to fora in which to engage in criminal activity -- for example, auction Websites, financial services Websites, and chat rooms -- that in the physical world would quickly deny them any access at all. This access opens doors to criminality previously closed to minors. In a similar vein, kids who are too young to drive can use a PC connected to the Internet to access computers worldwide, adding to their ability to commit serious and far-reaching offenses and to confederate with other computer delinquents. Not only is it difficult for parents to deny their children access to computers -- necessary for much legitimate schoolwork -- even were parental control at home practicable, the ubiquitous (and often free) computer access provided by high schools, public libraries, and friends make "computer curfews" an oxymoron.

Third, juveniles appear to have an ethical "deficit" when it comes to computer crimes. In one study, 34 percent of university undergraduates admitted to illegally pirating copyrighted software, and 16 percent admitted to gaining illegal access to a computer system to browse or exchange information. See Bowker, Juveniles and Computers, at 41 (citing surveys). Moreover, a recent poll of 47,235 elementary and middle school students conducted by Scholastic, Inc. revealed that 48% of juveniles do not consider hacking to be a crime. This ethical deficit increases the likelihood that even "good kids" who are ordinarily unlikely to commit crimes such as robbery, burglary, or assault, may not be as disinclined to commit online crimes.