KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, PERCEPTION AND CYBER-ACTIVITY OF STUDENTS ON CYBER VICTIMIZATION IN BABCOCK UNIVERSITY, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Cyber victimization refers to the use of electronic media with the intent of causing harm, humiliation, suffering, fear and despair for the individual who is the target of aggression and this has now grown to be a source of concern to parents, researchers, and teachers. This paper sought to measure the level of knowledge, the attitudinal disposition, perception and cyber-activity of undergraduates in a selected private institution.  It also sought to check for associations between these afore listed independent variables and cyber victimization.

The study adopted the cross-sectional survey design. The Multistage sampling technique was used to select 426 undergraduates of Babcock University. A validated instrument for data collection was developed based on constructs in the Health Belief Model and administered. The instrument measured knowledge on a 9-point rating scale, attitudinal disposition on a 12-point rating scale, perception on a 33-point rating scale and Cyber victimization on an 8-point rating scale. Nine research questions were answered and six hypotheses were tested at 0.05level of significance. Data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Linear Regression alongside ANOVA.

The mean age of respondents was 19.50±3.14 (44.8%). The study produced a level of knowledge to be at 66.3%, attitudinal disposition (44.7%), Perception (56.18%), Cyber-activity (56.18%) and Cyber victimization (15.37%). The study revealed that knowledge had a significant but negative linear relationship with cyber victimization (R²=0.036, R= -1.90, P˂0.05). Attitudinal disposition also had a significant but negative linear relationship with cyber victimization (R²=0.011, R= -0.10, P˂0.05). There was no significant relationship between perception and cyber victimization (R²= 0.0003, R= -0.019, P˃0.05). Cyber-activity had a significant relationship with cyber victimization (R²= 0.037, R= 0.191, P˂0.05).

The study therefore concluded that cyber-activity had the highest influence in exposing the students to cyber victimization. Therefore, Students should be sensitized on the use and importance of data limiters as a way of monitoring their cyber- activities. Sensitization programs should be carried out for an increased awareness on the menace of cyber victimization as this will provide a broader spectrum of how the issue of cyber victimization is perceived as well as how susceptible they might be without them even being aware of it.

Keywords: Cyber victimization, Cyber-activity, Knowledge on cyber victimization, Attitudinal   disposition towards cyber victimization, Perception on cyber victimization.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

The use of digital technology has developed over the last few decades. The use of these technologies have become very paramount to many of our daily activities which includes but not limited to sending and receiving text messages, emails, relating with friends and loved ones on social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Facebook, and twitter etc. This invariably aids us in working more efficiently, have information on our fingertips, connect and communicate with people. Many adolescents have grown up completely eloped in the digital world through the use of electronic gadgets and never will believe that they could go about their daily task without the use of the internet (Madden, Lenhart, Duggan, Cortesi, & Gasser, 2013).

According to the Nigerian Communication commission (NCC), the number of phones being used is about 99 million and it is also observed that the mobile internet is fast overtaking the traditional “fixed” internet in the country.  It was also observed that there are close to 25 million smart phone users in the country out of which 65% are youths (Ken, 2012).

Digital technology usage has both positive and negative consequences (Bavelier, Green, & Dye, 2010).  Based on the report by the Nigerian Communication Commission that the demand for stylish smartphones by Nigerians due to some special features that is embedded in them seem to be on the rise, adolescents exposure to the negative consequences (cyber victimization) of digital technology is also on the rise. Cyber victimization has arisen as a new issue in public mental health which predominantly affects youths today. Cyber victimization is on the high rise due to an increase in mobile phones usage and the internet and this increase has provided a new dome for both social associations and chances for abuse (Asaga, Hoven, Suzuki, Sourander, et .al 2012; Wang, Lannotti & Nansel, 2009; Mishna, Saini & Solomon, 2009; Chang, Chiu, His, Lee, et.al 2013). Studies that were earlier carried out revealed that the rates of cyberbullying among the young and steady users of the Internet that are amid the ages of 10-17 years old range from 4 to 72 % (Juvonen & Gross, 2008; Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004), and lesser rates among students of colleges when compared with adolescent samples which range from 9-20 % (Kraft &Wang, 2010; McDonald, Roberts & Pitman,2010; Scherer, Snyder & Fisher, 2016; Schenk & Fremouw, 2012).

From statistical reports which indicate the fact that 93% of teens are active users of the Internet, also showing that 75% own a mobile phone, up from 45% in 2004, it can be held that there is unlimited possibility for cyberbullying among youths. The Internet is considered today as the most technologically innovative avenue for communicating throughout the world; this is so because it has the ability to share digital material through a common set of networking and software protocol (Okorie, 2009; Okorie & Oyedepo, 2011). The ability and ease of sending text messages and having Internet access has influenced social interaction among teenagers in recent times. Most teenagers have a private computer or cell phone and engage in communications daily with a large number of people at the same time, and this therefore exposes them to repercussion which is in some cases can be harmful resulting from the influences of the instant contacts they have.