Portrayal of Cyberbullying in Nigeria: A Content Analysis of Nigerian News Media

Technological advancement in the world has created numerous benefits. Technology has increased the rate of productivity, communication and globalization. The information communication technology created by these advancements facilitated easy dispersion of information as well as cyberbullying. Social networking sites (SNS) has seen an increase in the cases of cyberbullying which correlates with an increase in the use of these platforms. As a negative effect of technology, cyberbullying has made the digital communication space unsafe for everyone. Cyberbullying continued to exert social, ethical and psychological problems in today’s societies. This study would be examining three newspapers, Thisday, Vangaurd and Punch using a qualitative content analysis and frame analysis to examine how the Nigerian media portrays cyberbullying. Total 60 news article were examined under the defined themes. This study found that media platforms have some contents to create awareness and enlighten people on cyberbullying. It highlighted the methods of cyberbullying and also provides real life examples of people who were victims to cyberbullies. Similarly, this study analyses the position of the Nigerian government in their fight against cyberbully. This study also analyzed the intervention and prevention methods that should be taken civil society to combat cyberbullying. Keywords: Cyberbullying, Nigerian Media, Awareness, Victim, Prevention of Cyberbullying.