INTERNET ADDICTION AND EARLY PORNOGRAPHY CONTACT AS CORRELATES OF ADOLESCENTS’ SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: IMPLICATION FOR COUNSELLING INTERVENTION

Abstract

The study was designed to examine internet addiction and early pornography contact as correlates of adolescents’ sexual behavior. The central purpose of this study was to find if there is any significant relationship between early pornography contact and Adolescent’s sexual behavior  and to ascertain the relative contribution of internet addiction and early pornography contact on adolescents’ sexual behavior. Descriptive research design of the correlational type was adopted in which structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The population for this study was all newly admitted 100 level students of Babcock University Nigeria, 2018/2019 academic year. The sample consisted of two hundred (n=200) students; from which 55.5% (n=111) were males and 44.5% (n=89) were female. Data collected were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics (DS), Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA). The finding reveals that there is a significant relationship between internet addiction and adolescent sexual behavior at (r=.189, P<.05). More so, the analysis of variance shows a statistically significant composite contribution of internet use among adolescents at (f_{2,197) =} 13.379 < 0.05). Also, pornography predicts adolescent sexual behavior more significantly than internet addiction. The study stipulates that internet addiction and its significant impact on adolescent’s sexual behavior have raised a societal challenge that calls for attention. The need for rehabilitation and support centers in schools and colleges was highlighted, were adolescents traces of internet addiction could receive care and intervention. The need for parents, guardians and teachers to closely monitor the adolescents as they surf the internet was also highlighted.