GENDER, SOCIAL STATUS AND CYBER ABUSE AMONGST SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Cyber abuse is a growing global phenomenon.  It is a crime which is easily perpetuated and often without detection.  It involves the use of modern IT to harass people or do illegal businesses. Most parents are worried about the negative influence on children.  Some of the negative influences are violence, immorality (pornography) and illegal business on the net.  All these contribute to the moral decadence in the society.  This study investigated the influence of gender, age, social status and incidence of cyber abuse amongst secondary school students of Ibadan North Local Government Area in Oyo State of Nigeria.  The correlational survey research design was used to select a sample of 1,000 students from four out of the twenty-two Senior Secondary Schools in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria in 2007/2008 school year. The instrument used was a questionnaire which had four sections.  Section A had five questions which gathered general information about the students.  Section B had ten questions on social status of the students and their parents.  Section C concentrated on questions relating to the students’ use of computers and GSM phones; while Section D had questions on cyber abuse.  The Pearson Product Moment Multiple Correlation, ANOVA and Multiple Regression Analysis were used for data analysis, using 0.05 as a decision point.  The study revealed that social status, having access to computer or GSM and being engaged in business online had significant influence on the incidence of cyber abuse amongst the respondents.  Those predictors that showed direct significant influence on cyber use and abuse were age, having access to computer or GSM and being engaged in business online.  These results imply that students from any age, gender, social status or home background (parents’ marital status) are vulnerable.  Peer pressure and exposure to the ills in the society can have negative influence on any child/ward.  These independent variables also had positive significant relationship with cyber use and abuse; while age, gender and parents’ marital status did not.  All the predictors studied (age, gender, social status, parents’ marital status, having access to computer or GSM, doing business online) had joint significant effect on cyber abuse. The conclusion and recommendation among others was that parents/guardians need to do more to spend quality time with their children/wards to counsel, guide, instruct them and keep up with what interests them or what they are getting into.  Children need adults to keep them on right track as they are growing up.