An Assessment of Internet Use and Cyber-risk Prevalence among Students in Selected Nigerian Secondary Schools

The use of the Internet has become highly pervasive among adolescents. While these people derive numerous benefits from their use of this technology, they are also faced with a challenge of being exposed to many cyber risks. Nigeria is a developing country with a teeming population of adolescents who are regular users of the Internet, but with inadequate research on adolescent Internet safety. There is therefore, a need to conduct studies on child online risks in Nigeria, to help evaluate the enormity of child online abuses. The present study investigated Internet use and cyber-risk prevalence among four hundred secondary school students from a Nigerian state capital. This study employed a survey research method. The findings reveal that students in selected secondary schools in Ibadan metropolis are regular users of the Internet with considerable exposure to different cyber-risk behaviours. Male students are significantly more susceptible to cyberbullying than female students while public school students are more susceptible to cyberbullying and sexual solicitation risks than private school students. The study amongst others, recommends that Information Technology professionals and educators should intentionally get involved in enlightening students on the importance and means of ensuring safety while they use the Internet