Frequent Social Media Use As Predictor Of Cyberbullying Among University Undergraduates In Kwara State, Nigeria

The manifestations of electronic bullying behaviours among university students is generating concerns among scholars and various stakeholders in recent times. This category of bullying staged through the cyberspace could largely be aided by undergraduates’ frequent use of the social media platforms. This study examined frequency of social media use in predicting cyberbullying among undergraduates, with samples drawn from three purposively selected Universities in Kwara State, Nigeria. Two research questions were raised, while three null hypotheses generated and tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The study adopted a quantitative method of research and a survey design for the field work. A total of 200 undergraduates drawn from the three purposively selected universities participated in the study. Researchers-designed questionnaire titled “Frequent Social Media Engagement and Cyberbullying Questionnaire (FSMECQ) was the instrument used to elicit information from the se lected respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected. The findings revealed that respondents subscribed to the fact that frequent social media engagement is a predictor of cyberbullying behaviours among university undergraduates. Respondents did not differ significantly in their responses to each item and it also indicated that they appreciated an effectively staged counselling intervention as a veritable strategy for reducing incidence of cyberbullying among university undergraduates in Kwara State, Nigeria. Among recommendations proffered were; full integration of counselling services, with particular emphasis on concentration on electronic bullying which is fast replacing the traditional type of bullying, thus, creating serious emotional torture for youngsters than the physical type of bullying.