CYBERCRIME VICTIMIZATION REPORTING PATTERN IN UMUAHIA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Despite the robust interest shown in explaining various aspects of the cybercrime menace, the aspect of societal reaction to cybercrime attacks with respect to the pattern of reporting victimization experiences has not received much attention from scholars. This study therefore investigated the pattern of reporting cybercrime victimization in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. Questionnaire and IDI guide were used to collect samples from Internet users between the age bracket of 20 and 70. It was found out that there was a very high poor attitude to, or low level of reporting personal cybercrime victimization experiences to the police, X² = 883.14, p = .000. This is because, of the 879 respondents who experienced cybercrime victimization, 4 in every 5 participants (80%) did not report their victimization to the police, while 1 in every 5 of them did report their victimization to the police. The study also discovered that there was a high level of dissatisfaction with the way police handled the victimization experiences reported to them. For instance, of the 176 who reported their victimization experiences, 3 in every 5 (61.0%) were dissatisfied with the way police handled their victimization report; while 2 in every 5 (39%) were satisfied, X² = 110.00, p< .5. The study therefore concluded that is a very high poor and negative attitude towards reporting cybercrime victimization experiences in Nigeria; and one of the major possible reasons for such a reality is the high level of dissatisfaction with the way police handled the victimizations experiences hitherto reported to them. Among others, the study recommends that relevant government organs should carryout appropriate criminal justice reforms in order to increase the capacity of the Police towards collating and utilizing victimization reports in Nigeria.