Cybercrime committed by minors: causes, methods, prevention

Ilona Makarenko

UDC

343.98

VAK Russia

5.1.4

CYBERCRIME COMMITTED BY MINORS: CAUSES, METHODS, PREVENTION Cybercrime committed by minors: causes, methods, prevention

АА Аа

Published in Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia · Pages 136–141 · Rubric: CRIMINAL LAW SCIENCES

Received: 25.06.2025 Accepted: 25.09.2025 Published: 30.09.2025 Language of publication: RUS

Authors

Ilona Makarenko

ORCID

Ilona Makarenko

Academic degree: doctor of jurisprudence sciences

Science rang: professor

Ufa University of Science and Technology Head · Department of criminalistics · Russian Federation · Ufa

ORCID

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The current stage of societal development is characterised by the widespread use of information technology in all areas of activity. Criminal activity has not been exempt from this process, as its anonymity can now be easily ensured through various technical means. Due to the widespread occurrence of cybercrimes and their often standardised modus operandi, minors are increasingly involved in illegal activities. This poses a threat not only to their ongoing personal maturation and the development of negative social orientations in their minds, but also expands the scope of individuals engaged in criminal conduct causing detrimental effects on the state of society. The author pays particular attention to the reasons why minors commit cybercrimes as well as to the most common methods they use to carry out their criminal activities. The author points out the need for further work concerning criminal schemes in this area, developing proposals for their detection and investigation, and implementing a set of preventative measures. Methods. The preparation of this article involved the application of scientific methods relevant to the research’s purpose, including analysis, generalisation, classification and modelling. Results. The research reveals the current reasons for committing crimes in the field of information and telecommunications technologies by minors. Taking these reasons into account, it is necessary to take a set of measures to prevent unlawful behaviour by this group of citizens. The research also demonstrates the need for further development of methods for investigating this type of criminal activity. The author stresses the importance of a comprehensive set of measures for preventing crimes in question, such as amending legislation, explaining criminal law prohibitions (for debunking the myth of highly professional hackers capable of controlling information technologies or the digital universe), public and parental monitoring of teenagers' activities on social media, etc.

KEYWORDS

cybercrime, computer crime, minor offender, methods of committing cybercrime, preventive measures

Text

Text (PDF)

Read Download

1. Furnell S. M., Warren M. J. Computer Hacking and Cyber Terrorism: The Real Threats in the New Millennium // Computers & Security. 1999. Vol. 18, No. 1. P. 28-34. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0167-4048(99)80006-6

2. Joshi S., Singh S., Sharma M. Cybercrime by Minors. // Roy P. K., Tripathy A. K. (Ed.) Cybercrime in Social Media : Theory and Solutions. New York : Chapman and Hall/CRC, 2023. P. 143–166. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003304180

3. Karagodin V. N. O nekotoryh sovremennyh osobennostyah prestupleniy, sovershennyh v otnoshenii nesovershennoletnih // Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta MVD Rossii. 2024. № 1. S. 80–86. https://doi.org/10.24412/2073-0454-2024-l-80-86

4. Fedoseeva O. I. Psihologicheskie osobennosti formirovaniya lichnosti nesovershennoletnego kiberprestupnika // Yuridicheskaya nauka i praktika: Vestnik Nizhegorodskoy akademii MVD Rossii. 2022. №. 4. S. 174-178. https://doi.org/10.36511/2078-5356-2022- 4-174-178

5. Hararbahova M. A., Musatova O. A., Shpagina E. M. Internet i odinochestvo podrostkov // Psihologiya i pravo. 2021. T. 11. № 4. C. 2–13. https://doi.org/10.17759/psylaw.2021110401

6. Smagin P. G. K voprosu o prestupleniyah, sovershaemyh nesovershennoletnimi s ispol'zovaniem informacionnyh tehnologiy // Social'naya politika i narodosberezhenie : [setevoe izdanie]. 2024. T. 3, № 2. C. 1–10. URL: https://spnjournal.ru/04spn224.html.

7. Cai Y. Research on the Social Media Presentation of Juvenile Cybercrime: A Case Study of Cyberbullying / Samsilah R. [et al.] (Eds.) Catherine Lee Cheng Ean Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Educational Development and Social Sciences (EDSS 2025). Zhengzhou : Atlantis Press China, 2025. P. 762–768. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-400-6_89

8. Bahl S., Punia M. Juvenile digital delinquency: A Comprehensive Analysis of Distinctive Behavioural Traits, Motivational Factors, and Societal Implications of Cyber Offenses Committed by Young Individuals / Sharma H. [et al.] (Eds.) Innovative Multidisciplinary Approaches to Global Challenges: Sustainability, Equity, and Ethics in an Interconnected World (IMASEE-2025). Paris : Atlantis Press, 2025. P. 19–41. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-416-7_3

9. Harisova Z. I. Kriminalisticheskaya harakteristika prestupleniy, svyazannyh s nepravomernym dostupom k komp'yuternoy informacii // Pravovoe gosudarstvo: teoriya i praktika. 2025. № 2. S. 96–105. https://doi.org/10.33184/pravgos-2025.2.11

10. Harisova Z. I. Informacionno-komp'yuternaya kriminalisticheskaya model' prestupleniya, svyazannogo s narusheniem pravil centralizovannogo upravleniya tehnicheskimi sredstvami protivodeystviya ugrozam ustoychivosti, bezopasnosti i celostnosti funkcionirovaniya seti «Internet» i seti svyazi obschego pol'zovaniya: teoretiko-prognosticheskiy podhod // Vestnik Instituta prava Bashkirskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. 2025. № 2 (26). S. 205–221. https://doi.org/10.33184/vest-law-bsu-2025.26.18

11. Glazatova S. V., Burceva E. V., Medvedeva S. V. Kiberprestupleniya, sovershaemye nesovershennoletnimi: problemy rassledovaniya // Rossiyskiy sledovatel'. 2021. № 2. S. 7–10. https://doi.org/10.18572/1812-3783-2021-2-7-10

12. Astahova E. A. Perspektivy protivodeystviya ispol'zovaniyu informacionno-kommunikacionnyh tehnologiy v prestupnyh celyah // Pravovaya politika i pravovaya zhizn'. 2025. №. 1. S. 56–64. https://doi.org/10.24412/1608-8794-2025-1-56-64

13. Ma Y., Liu Y., Wang H. Study on the Prevention and Control Mechanism for Minors’ Involvement in Telecom and Online Fraud / Zhan Z. [et al.] (Eds.) Proceedings of the 2024 10th International Conference on Humanities and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2024). Zhengzhou : Atlantis Press China, 2024. P. 1551–1564. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-277-4_173

14. Qosimov S. State Policy and Legal Approach to Combating Crimes Committed Through Information Technologies: Analysis and Proposals// International Journal of Artificial Intelligence. 2025. Vol. 4, No. 1. P. 807–811. URL: https://inlibrary.uz/index.php/ijai/article/view/99045.

15. Kaur M. M., Manpreet M. H., Kaur M. H. Judiciary's Role in the Prevention and Prosecution of Cybercrimes Against Women // ShodhPatra: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. 2025. Vol. 2. Is. 1. P. 116–130. https://doi.org/10.70558/SPIJSH.2025.v2.i1.25101

GOST

Makarenko I. A. Cybercrime committed by minors: causes, methods, prevention // Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. 2025. no. 3. pp. 136-141. (Date of access 08.09.2026).

MLA

Ilona Makarenko. "Cybercrime committed by minors: causes, methods, prevention." Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia 2025.3 (2025): 136-141.

APA

Makarenko I. A. (2025). Cybercrime committed by minors: causes, methods, prevention. Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, 2025(3), 136-141.

Chicago

Ilona Makarenko. "Cybercrime committed by minors: causes, methods, prevention." Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia 2025, no. 3 (2025): 136-141.

WIKI

{{cite journal | author = Makarenko I. A. | title = Cybercrime committed by minors: causes, methods, prevention | journal = Vestnik of the St. Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia | year = 2025 | volume = 2025 | issue = 3 | pages = 136-141 }}

Copy

Export: BibTeX EndNote RefMan RusMARC

CYBERCRIME COMMITTED BY MINORS: CAUSES, METHODS, PREVENTION Cybercrime committed by minors: causes, methods, prevention

Confirmation