True gankers don't look for opponents, they look for victims. Show up with a ship that is obviously not fit for any fight, heck, a default sidewinder or maybe a non-upgraded eagle, and they can't resist. Tales are spun how this is somehow to the victims benefit, for them to "learn" and get "immersion delivered" to them.
In reality I gifted the game so several friends who played for quite a few hours only to have that progress lost in what they thought was a safe system by someone who had no interest in their cargo nor made any demands. Said friends never touched the game again.
One can believe whatever one wants, including that people who essentially play the equivalent of a mass murderer on a killing rampage in a space game provides some kind of value to other players.
This does not change the fact that this drives away players, especially new and new-ish ones. At the very least, it drives them away from open and into private groups or solo.
And it also does not alter the reality that you can gank people simply because the ramnifications to ganking are nonexistent because the AI law enforcement is ill equipped to effectively pursue and take down a guy who drives a tank through town because all they have is .38 specials and any special police force or the army and national guard don't exist.