Empirical Assessment of Cyberbullying, Associated Factors and Behaviours Among Internet Users in Abuja, Nigeria
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Abstract
Cyberbullying has become a critical social issue, which severely threatens children and adolescents’ physical and psychological health. In this context, this study aimed to assess cyberbullying, associated factors and behaviours among internet users in Abuja, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design approach which did not allow for the manipulation of the study variables, and stratified random sampling technique was used to select two hundred and fifty (250) participants consisting of 116 males (46.4%) and 134 females (53.6%), with age range of 20 -30, and a mean age of 25 and standard deviation (SD) of 10.36. A multiple regression analysis was used as the statistical tool to analyse the data. The results revealed that loneliness [β = .208, t = 3.174; p<.01], and social support [β = -.409, t = -5.398; p<.001] were significantly and independently predicted cyberbullying-behaviour; while emotional intelligence [β = -.553, t = -7.643; p>.001] is insignificant of cyberbullying-behaviour. On the joint prediction, the result revealed a significant combined prediction of (emotional intelligence, loneliness and social support) [R = .832 and R2 = .692, F (3, 102) = 8.237; p<.001] of cyberbullying-behaviour among internet users. Also, results explicate no significant gender (t (248) = .742; p>.05] differences on cyberbullying-behaviour. Lastly, the result shows that user’s age (F (2, 247) = 3.669; p<.05) significantly influences cyberbullying behaviour. Therefore, the study concluded that with exclusion of emotional intelligence, loneliness and social support statistically and significantly are predictors of cyberbullying-behaviour among internet users in Nigeria. The study recommended that family, friends, schools, and the government raise awareness about cyberbullying-behaviour and strengthening emotional intelligence, and provide social support to perpetrators, victims and witnesses so that the incident does not continue and immediately end.
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