Awareness towards Cyberbullying Laws among Active Social Media Youths in Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Over the past few decades, cyberbullying has become a prevailing aspect of cybercrime that is raising serious concern globally, as it is affecting individuals, especially youths who are the major active users of internet and various social media. Recognizing the dire impact of the phenomenon on individuals and the society at large, the Nigerian government enacted the Cybercrime Act in 2015 to address every aspect of cybercrime including cyberbullying. However, little is known about the level of awareness of youths towards these laws, especially in Southeast Nigeria. Adopting the risk society theory as a theoretical framework, this study investigated the awareness of youths about cyberbullying laws in Southeast Nigeria.The research adopted a quantitative descriptive research design, utilizing a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 430 youths aged 18-40 years, who were selected through a convenient sampling technique and voluntary participation. A web-based researcher-developed structured questionnaire covering itemson awareness of cyberbullying laws was used to collect data from the respondents. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency count and simple percent. The associated between selected covariates and awareness about cyberbullying laws was tested using chi-square test at 0.05 significant levels. Findings of the study revealed a lack of awareness among the majority (44.9%) of youths regarding the existence and provisions of cyberbullying laws. Furthermore, only a small percentage of respondents (8.1%) displayed a comprehensive awareness of the legal consequences associated with cyberbullying. The study therefore recommends the need for comprehensive educational programmes on cyberbullying to bridge the gap between legislation and the understanding of these laws among the young population.