The Prevalence of Cyberbullying and Cyber-Victimization Behaviours in Internet Usage among Adolescents in Secondary Schools of Westlands Sub-County, Nairobi.
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Date
2019-02
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
In the global world, with the increasing convenience of technology and its augmentation in the
interconnectedness with human interaction, it is becoming possible that verbal and image bullying
have turned digital, making cyberbullying a form of bullying that is novel and challenging. Despite
this growing concern, there is a paucity of studies investigating this phenomenon therefore this
study was undertaken to establish the prevalence of cyberbullying behaviors in internet usage
among the adolescents in the sampled schools of Westland’s Sub-County, Nairobi County.
Furthermore information for this study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study used a
quantitative research approach in the form of self-reported questionnaires. Moreover the present
study used probability sampling techniques and targeted a sample size of 228 students aged
between 13 and 18 years. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 and the data
was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics methods. The data analysis was based
on Chi-square test, Pearson’s Correlation, Linear regression analysis and one way ANOVA. The
results show that participation in cyberbullying behaviors was 14% and cyber-victimization
behaviors among students was 23%. The Pearson’s Correlation results found no association
between cyberbullying behaviors (r = -.007, p > .05) and cyber-victimization behaviors (r = -.005,
p > .05) with the compulsive internet usage but revealed positive significant correlation between
cyberbullying perpetration and cyber-victimization behaviors (r = .367, p < .01) indicating that
students exhibiting cyber-victimization behaviors end up becoming perpetrators themselves.
Linear regression analysis further indicated that not age but gender had significant impact on the
relationship between internet use and cyberbullying and cyber-victimization behaviors. The study
revealed more of female adolescents (19%) engaged in cyberbullying perpetration and male
adolescents (24%) as being cyber-victimized. One way ANOVA found no significant difference
between the three different grades of students and internet usage, cyberbullying and cyber-
victimization behaviors. On the whole this study assisted in gaining deeper insight indicating a
noteworthy prevalence of cyberbullying and cyber-victimization behaviors among the teens in the
schools of Westland Sub-county, Nairobi County. In conclusion the study underscores the need
for providing active prevention plans and intervention strategies in raising awareness by promoting
healthy attitudes and behaviors among the adolescents in family as well as educational settings.
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Keywords
Cyberbullying, Cyber-Victimization, Internet, Adolescents, Secondary Schools, Information and Communication Technologies