British police try to redirect teenage hackers

On July 30, 2026, British police ramped up the national Cyber Choices program to steer teenagers away from illegal activities in the digital environment. The case of Lucas, a young man from Cumbria who began disassembling computers to test components, illustrates the early-intervention strategy.

The meeting that changed Lucas's trajectory

After being close to expelled from school, Lucas's mother called the police. An officer, Sergeant Sam Cooper, showed up at the rural home and, according to Lucas, his mother said: "ooh, you've got a detective coming to speak to you, you're in a lot of trouble". The teenager waited by the window, fearing the consequences, but Cooper began to explain the real repercussions of cyber attacks.

How the Cyber Choices program works

Cooper, who has worked with dozens of children, conducts one-on-one meetings, usually at the teenagers' homes. He states: "I'll try and find where their interests are and try and divert them towards professional training, qualifications". The program includes university visits, such as Lucas's upcoming visit to a cyber-security course, to inspire the choice of legitimate careers.

Rise in youth involvement in serious attacks

Authorities warn that teenage hacker groups are playing an increasingly larger role in attacks on organisations such as Transport for London (2024) and Marks & Spencer (2025). Paul Foster, head of cyber prevention at the National Crime Agency (NCA), says: "It certainly has become more of a problem". The NCA has recorded more than 1,150 cases referred to Cyber Choices in the past eight years, with almost 600 in the last three.

Neurodiverse profiles and police approach

Cooper notes that many of the youths he assists are autistic or neurodiverse, even when not formally labelled. He comments: "Even if they're not labelled as such... they obviously have more affinity with computers than they do with practical and social reality". According to him, these teenagers can fixate on goals and ignore adult guidance, requiring a direct dialogue.

Results, criticisms and doubts about effectiveness

Cases such as Arion Kurtaj (2023) and two teenagers recently jailed for an attack on TfL show that the courts have taken neurodiverse status into account when sentencing. However, critics fear that teaching advanced skills to those already interested in hacking could make them more capable offenders. In an ongoing trial, an allegation emerged that a program participant committed new offences, prompting Cooper to state: "My fear is that if we didn't give them something like Cyber Choices, where would they get that input and where would that input take them?". For Lucas, the police visit was decisive: he acknowledges that, without the intervention, he would have continued testing the limits of the computer.

With information from BBC News.