It's quite shocking to believe that there is a parallel connection between the youngsters turning into hackers and how they become addicted to drugs and alcohol.
But according to the report written by an agency, Europol for the EU's law enforcement, the readily available online tools and guides make it easy for youth to get attracted towards the cyber crimes.
It states that "[The hormone] dopamine can be released quickly as vulnerable youth achieve frequent and rapid successes online, and if these successes are linked to anti-social acts, such as hacking, they will be reinforced to pursue further ends to obtain their gains. Frameworks of addiction assist with explaining the difficulties in cessation as well as an escalation in deviancy and targeted victimisation."
The study emphasised and suggests that the educational programmes that were designed to tackle the substance abuse and smoking could be easily adapted to help tackle cyber crime.
"In the [American Psychiatric Association's] last Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, internet addiction did not make it through," Prof Mary Aiken told the BBC.
"So, therefore hacking is not recognised clinically as an addiction. But our research certainly points to certain compulsive and impulsive aspects of the behaviour and certainly it would warrant further investigation as to whether it was addictive."
The report suggests that a large number of youths feels that the internet is a place where they can do anything without being getting noticed. And this encourages them to carry out serious acts.
"Building reputation scores online becomes so important that young hackers can invest copious amounts of cognitive and emotive resources," it states.
But according to the report written by an agency, Europol for the EU's law enforcement, the readily available online tools and guides make it easy for youth to get attracted towards the cyber crimes.
It states that "[The hormone] dopamine can be released quickly as vulnerable youth achieve frequent and rapid successes online, and if these successes are linked to anti-social acts, such as hacking, they will be reinforced to pursue further ends to obtain their gains. Frameworks of addiction assist with explaining the difficulties in cessation as well as an escalation in deviancy and targeted victimisation."
The study emphasised and suggests that the educational programmes that were designed to tackle the substance abuse and smoking could be easily adapted to help tackle cyber crime.
"In the [American Psychiatric Association's] last Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, internet addiction did not make it through," Prof Mary Aiken told the BBC.
"So, therefore hacking is not recognised clinically as an addiction. But our research certainly points to certain compulsive and impulsive aspects of the behaviour and certainly it would warrant further investigation as to whether it was addictive."
The report suggests that a large number of youths feels that the internet is a place where they can do anything without being getting noticed. And this encourages them to carry out serious acts.
"Building reputation scores online becomes so important that young hackers can invest copious amounts of cognitive and emotive resources," it states.