Perception of Cybercrime Among Nigerian Youths (a Study of Caritas University)
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
- To find out how Nigerian youths perceive
- To assess the ways federal government can curb the continued spread of cybercrime among Nigerian youths and the general
- To ascertain the factors that tends to cause young people’s involvement in cybercrime in
- To find out if the internet is used as a channel for the perpetration of criminal spamming
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
SOURCES OF LITREATURE
In the course of gathering materials for this review, the researcher made extensive use of libraries, archives, media institutions and other relevant sources of secondary data. This chapter focused on the concept of perception, its measurement, and relationship with image, empirical studies and lastly the theoretical framework.
REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE
THE CONCEPT OF PERCEPTION
The central concept of the study was perception. Peoples’ reaction to a message depends mainly on their perception of it. This has made perception a core psychological field that draws more attention than other subject matters in psychology. Although much work and studies have been done in the field, psychologists are still unable to arrive at a commonly acceptable definition for perception.
Fantino Reynolds (1995:11-19) define perception as the organizing principle by which we interpret our sensory input. This goes a long way in that perception is the way an individual reads and acknowledges his environment. In the same vein, perception is the process of discriminating among stimuli and of interpreting their meaning. Humans have a tendency perceptually as well as cognitively to seek completeness. We read the unsaid and visualize the unseen.
We can listen to two people talking about different things, but sooner or later, you have to abandon one person to be able to listen to other, for you to understand him/her thoroughly.
Perception is objective in the sense that it is related to objects, events, issues, situations, e.t.c.
SOCIAL PERCEPTION
The term perception is subject to so many definitions.
Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary, 7th edition, defines perception as the way you notice things, especially with senses.
American Encyclopedia (1994:689) defines perception as a concept in psychology and dealing with a family of meaning.
Alfred Lindersmith and Anselm Strauss referred to it as ways an organism responds to stimuli picked up by the sense organs.
In giving clarity to perception, Dennis and Defleur (1981: 17) observed that, when a receiver perceives a word, he or she must identify the incoming pattern of physical events known as language symbol rather than other types of event
Folarin.B (1998:63) explains that perception depends on complex variables such as psychological disposition, past experiences, needs, cultural expectations and social relationship. In other words, each of us tends to perceive and then decide communication message in the light of our previous experiences and current disposition, needs, belief and memories.
Alfred and Anslem, identified the processes affecting perception in the following variants. Selectivity of perception: you see what you want to see while you neglect others. Frequency of previous experiences with particular stimulus and responses, which affects present stimuli. Experience with stimuli and responses that have been positively or negatively reinforced the contemporary factor prevailing at the moment of perception, such conditions include, hunger, fatigue or anxiety, which may affect what, is perceived.
Folarin.B (1998:67) also noted that selective interpretation of a given message causes an undue internal dissonance. That is, the receiver of the message may decide to forget the message.
PERCEPTION AND IMAGE
An image is a set of beliefs about an object, krecht et al (1976:17).
According to Oxford Advanced Learners dictionary, 7th edition, (743), image is the impression that a person, an organization or a product, e.t.c. gives the public. A person’s image of an object does not necessarily reveal his attitude towards an object.
However, the image of an object varies from person to person. This is largely due to the person’s beliefs, needs and past experiences with the object.
Also, images vary in their clarity and complexity. People at times, or have fuzzy or other related impressions.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter describes the methodology used in this research study.
It describes the method of research design, population sample and sampling technique, instrumentation as well as the method of data collection and data analysis. This is to ensure that the researcher’s work is authentic verifiable and error free.
RESEARCH METHOD
Research method is a systematic way of producing knowledge through which findings of a subject are either accepted or rejected.
The research method used for this study was the survey method. This method was considered most appropriate because it is a method involving the search for opinions.
AREA OF STUDY
The area of study is Caritas University Amoji-Nike Emene of Enugu State.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population of the study comprises of male and female students who reside in the hostels of residence of Caritas University in Enugu State. According to the Registrar, Mr. Ochang, of the noble institution, three thousand two hundred and eighty two (3282) is said to be population of the university. For this study, three thousand and fifty- two (3052) students were penciled down.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
This chapter deals with the data presentation and analysis gathered using percentage and simple table for clarity and easy understanding.
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
For this study, three hundred and fifty four (354) copies of questionnaire were administered. Also in the process of data collection, all the 354 copies of the questionnaire were returned representing 100% response rate. This was possible because the copies of questionnaire were administered personally to the respondents in their various hostels. This method helped in avoiding unnecessary delays and mortality rate of questionnaire.
Data collected with questionnaire were presented and analyzed using simple percentage table, from which conclusions were drawn especially in the discussion in the distribution of data as provided by the respondents.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY INTRODUCTION
This chapter is designed to present the summary and conclusion of the entire research project.
SUMMARY
Cybercrime popularly known as yahoo is an act of crime that defrauds unsuspecting victims in foreign countries of their hard-earned money. Findings have shown that cybercrime is rampant among Nigerian youths.
The study was conducted using survey method. Three hundred and fifty four (354) copies of questionnaire were administered to three hundred and fifty four (354) randomly selected respondents, with eighty nine (89) from each of the hostels in the university. The researcher used chi- square (x2) and simple percentage (%) in analyzing the data gathered from the field.
In view of the in-depth background of the study of the study of the sample, the literature review of related studies, and theories in this field using the appropriate measuring instrument, testing and analyzing the two hypotheses, it has become obvious that cybercrime is being perceived by Nigerian youths.
The first hypothesis which states that the internet is used as a channel for perpetration of criminal spamming activities was statistically supported.
The second hypothesis states that the federal government can curb the continued spread of cybercrime among the Nigerian youths and the general public was equally supported.
CONCLUSION
Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were reached.
- The understanding of the universality of cybercrimes and fraud and its rapid excessive growth among Nigerian youth is important to boost the country’s economy.
- Having a sound Socio- Economic and Technological Environment to avoid the existence of cybercrime in our society.
- There is a need for a massive campaign awareness and action from all Religions Leaders, Youth association, Parents, Teachers, Guardians, and Multinational Companies e.t.c.
- It shows a relationship between male and female perception about cybercrimes. Awareness of cybercrime among the respondents was high as shown in the findings.
- Majority of the respondents perceive cybercrime among Nigerian youth as very poor which represents 34.1% of the total respondents.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Other nations are racing to define their “information utility” based on educational and commercial content; Nigerian has been labelled the global capital for 419 scams. Based on the findings of this of this study, the following recommendations are hereby put forward:
- As a matter of urgency, government and other related stakeholder and other key player of the Nigerian Economy should try and create more job opportunities for our young graduates in order to alleviate their involvement in negative societal behavior.
- The massive campaign and sensitization exercise against the menace should be encouraged and supported by stakeholders.
- A better economic system, creation of opportunities for the young Nigerian, would also make a lot differences. Since it was observed that majority of the respondents perceived the involvement of young people in cybercrime as a result of economic condition.
- Government should try and sensitize the Police force, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corruption Practices Commission (ITPC) and other security operatives on how to detect and prevent cybercrimes with technology.
- Government and administrations should ensure that youth centres are built at least in every local government in Nigeria; this is necessary in order for young people to be engaged in creative works and development through these centres.
- Nigeria needs cyber laws that would govern the country’s cyber space and give the nation adequately cyber security measures.
- Telecommunication regulatory agencies in Nigeria should beef security on internet service provider’s server in order to detect and trace cybercrimes. This can be done by the use of CISCO system router and sensors.
- Finally to curb and eventually eradicate cybercrime, Adult, Children and Youth need to be enriched with the “power of the teaching of distinguishing right from wrong”. All schools should return to the teaching of moral education in order to empower all students with spirit of stewardship. While adults should live exemplary life, reflecting truth, kindness, dignity of labour and integrity. With all hands on deck, the evil of corruptible act like cybercrime in the minds of our youth will change for positive behaviour.
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