Cybercrime damaging adolescents’ future, character, reputation – Don warns 

Cybercrime damaging adolescents’ future, character, reputation – Don warns

A Professor of Counselling Psychology, Morufu Daodu, has expressed  concerns that cybercrime, known as Yahoo-Yahoo, is damaging many adolescents’ future and moral character.

Daodu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED),  expressed  the concerns on Wednesday in Lagos.

He delivered LASUED’s Third Inaugural Lecture entitled: “Stormy Seas of Adolescence: Stakeholder Contract in the Advancement of Normalcy”.

Daodu noted that adolescents growing up in a highly-digital age had widespread access to smartphones and the internet which  provided opportunities for learning and innovation.

He, however,  said  that the  opportunities also exposed the adolescents to risky and unethical online practices.

According to him, cybercrime  among adolescents includes online fraud, identity theft, hacking, cyberbullying and other internet-enabled scams.

“This behaviour is often driven by peer influence, curiosity, the lure of quick wealth and limited awareness of legal and moral consequences.

“Involvement in cybercrime not only harms victims but also damages the future, reputation and moral character of the perpetrators,” he said.

Daodu said that preventing cybercrime would require digital literacy, moral instruction, firm law enforcement and positive engagement in productive online ventures.

The professor warned that cybercrime was one of several harmful behaviours, describing it as a ‘palatable poison’ confronting adolescents.

He listed other threats  to adolescents’ future as drug abuse, social media addiction, examination malpractice, cultism, indecent dressing, negative peer pressure and aggressive behaviour.

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On drug abuse, Daodu said studies had shown that about 14.4 per cent of Nigerians aged 15 yearsto 67 years used psychoactive substances.

He added that, in some parts of Nigeria, one in every three secondary school students consumed alcohol, while  17.3 per cent lifetime prevalence of substance use had been reported among high school students.

Daodu said that excessive use of social media was exposing adolescents to distraction, cyberbullying, anxiety and reduced self-worth.

He also expressed concern about examination malpractice among the youth, noting that more than 4,000 cases of fingerprint manipulation were recorded during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The don also said  that cultism had spread beyond tertiary institutions to secondary schools, exposing young people to violence, intimidation and trauma.

He said that negative peer pressure and aggressive behaviour were pushing many adolescents into truancy, unsafe sexual practices and other forms of misconduct.

Daodu said that addressing adolescent challenges would require collective efforts of parents, teachers, counsellors, religious leaders, policymakers and the wider society.

The professor called for stronger counselling services, affordable and inclusive education, moral guidance and effective law enforcement to help adolescents  to navigate challenges of modern life.

He urged governments to enforce laws protecting adolescents from abuse, exploitation, child labour and early marriage, while creating policies to promote youth development and employment opportunities.

Daodu recommended early moral education to teach values such as honesty, discipline, respect and responsibility from childhood.

He urged provision of safe recreational spaces, including sports centres, libraries and youth hubs, where adolescents could engage in productive activities.

The professor also said that addressing poverty and inequality was necessary, noting that many risky behaviours were linked to economic hardship.

He urged governments and non-governmental organisations to implement poverty alleviation programmes targeted at vulnerable families.

Daodu also advocated strict enforcement of laws against child abuse,  child trafficking, drug distribution and recruitment of adolescents into criminal activities.