Summary: The dark web is more than a refuge for whistleblowers and privacy advocates; it also attracts a particular subset of internet users. A new study that surveyed 1,750 U.S. adults identifies traits and social factors that distinguish self-reported dark web users from typical surface-web visitors.
Although the dark web serves legitimate purposes—secure communication, access to censored material, and privacy—this research shows it disproportionately draws younger, impulsive men embedded in deviant social networks. Compared with surface-web users, dark web users in the sample were nearly three times more likely to report a prior criminal conviction and scored higher on measures of low self-control and permissive attitudes toward violence and online rule-breaking.
Key Facts
- Higher criminal history: 33.6% of dark web users reported a prior conviction versus 12.6% of surface-web users.
- Low self-control: Dark web users scored significantly higher on impulsivity and risk-taking—traits commonly linked to criminal behavior.
- Peer influence: Social learning explains nearly half of the connection between low self-control and dark web use; impulsive individuals often rely on peers who teach them how to navigate hidden online spaces.
- Support for deviance: Dark web users reported more favorable attitudes toward larceny, online deviance, and physical violence than surface-web users.
- Typical profile: The study’s dark web user profile skews younger, male, heterosexual, and often more highly educated than average.
To better understand who uses the dark web and why, researchers at Florida Atlantic University and collaborating institutions analyzed nationally representative survey data from 1,750 adults in the United States. The team tested whether prior criminal behavior, low self-control, association with peers who engage in online deviance, and permissive criminal attitudes predict self-reported dark web access.
Analyses began by comparing rates of prior criminal conviction among dark web users and surface-web users. The study then evaluated self-control, a well-established criminological predictor tied to impulsivity and risk-taking, to see whether lower self-control increased the likelihood of dark web use. Finally, the researchers assessed social influences—how peer behavior and formed attitudes toward crime relate to accessing hidden parts of the internet.
Published in the Journal of Crime and Justice, the results showed consistent differences across measures. Dark web users were more likely to report criminal histories and also scored higher on scales measuring low self-control, peer cyber deviance, and supportive attitudes toward larceny, cyber deviance, and violence.
Demographic associations were also clear: being younger and male increased the odds of dark web use. Some models additionally linked heterosexual identity and higher education to a greater likelihood of accessing hidden web spaces—possibly reflecting the technical skill and curiosity needed to navigate them.
The study’s supplemental analyses point to social learning as a crucial mechanism: nearly half of the relationship between low self-control and dark web access can be attributed to the peers people choose and the attitudes they adopt. In practice, individuals with lower impulse control may select friends who normalize risky online behavior and teach them the technical know-how required to operate in the dark web environment.
Ryan C. Meldrum, Ph.D., senior author and director of FAU’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, emphasizes that using the dark web is not inherently illegal or deviant—many legitimate activities depend on its anonymity and privacy features. Nevertheless, the platform’s characteristics create a risk-prone environment that can facilitate criminal behavior and increase the likelihood of victimization under limited oversight.
Overall, these findings offer empirical support for criminological theories in an online context and highlight the need for focused research on the subset of internet users who access the dark web with criminal intent.
Study co-authors include Raymond D. Partin, Ph.D. (University of Alabama) and Peter S. Lehmann, Ph.D. (Sam Houston State University).
Key Questions Answered:
A: No. Merely accessing the dark web is not illegal. It supports legitimate activities such as accessing censored news and private communication. However, the study finds that the space’s anonymity tends to attract people with behavioral profiles that include risk-taking and rule-breaking.
A: The dark web often requires technical skills—using Tor, VPNs, or privacy tools. People with lower self-control may be more likely to associate with peers who already engage in digital rule-breaking. These peers provide social reinforcement and practical guidance that lowers barriers to entry.
A: The study found a correlation between higher education and dark web use in some models. This may reflect the digital literacy required to access and use the dark web safely, paired with other personality or social factors that influence risk-taking.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- The journal paper was reviewed in full.
- Additional context was added by staff for clarity.
About this psychology research news
Author: Gisele Galoustian
Source: FAU
Contact: Gisele Galoustian – FAU
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access. “The role of criminal history, low self-control, and social learning variables in accessing the Dark Web” by Tommi Väyrynen et al., Journal of Crime and Justice. DOI: 10.1080/0735648X.2026.2621153
Abstract
The role of criminal history, low self-control, and social learning variables in accessing the Dark Web
The dark web has become an important area of study because its anonymity and structure can facilitate criminal behavior. Social scientists have only recently begun to investigate the behavioral and psychosocial profiles of people who access these hidden online spaces. More criminologically focused research is needed to identify traits, social connections, and attitudes that influence self-selection onto the dark web.
Using a national sample of U.S. adults (N = 1,750), the authors tested whether prior criminal behavior, low self-control, association with cyber-deviant peers, and permissive criminal attitudes predict dark web access. Bivariate and multivariate analyses consistently showed that self-reported dark web users are more likely to have a criminal history, lower self-control, more peers engaged in cyber deviance, and attitudes more favorable toward larceny, violence, and cybercrime.
These results encourage criminologists to prioritize the study of the dark web and to integrate traditional criminological theories into analyses of digital environments where motivated offenders, potential victims, and low oversight converge.