Overcoming Victim Blaming Culture on Nigerian Social Media

The internet now allows people more opportunities than ever before to voice their thoughts, connect and take action. But for many, particularly women and vulnerable communities in Nigeria, these digital spaces bring many threats. Victim blaming is a big problem in Nigerian society, and online harassment has increased because of it.

43% of young Nigerians who participated in a 2023 report from the Paradigm Initiative said they experienced some form of online abuse, and the abuse was mostly directed toward women. These days, people who are victims of abuse are more commonly criticized than helped on Twitter (now X), Facebook and Instagram. In numerous situations, individuals who have faced cyberbullying, sexual harassment or have their images shared without permission are accused of causing it themselves. Because of this storyline, many victims are reluctant to report, suffer emotionally, and the criminals go unpunished.

It is important to know exactly how big this problem is before you can do anything useful. We cannot improve digital safety in Nigeria only by using technology; we must also work on the cultural reasons why victim blaming is so accepted on the internet.

 

Understanding Victim Blaming in Nigeria's Digital Landscape

Nigerian culture holds the victim responsible for what happens to them, in part because of patriarchal, religious and cultural attitudes that overlook the criminal's behavior. This culture is stronger in the online world. People who talk about their survival on the internet often get shamed by a crowd of social media users. Parents likely respond with, What's the meaning behind that post? Why did you stay out so late? And why didn't you inform us sooner? As such, these reactions are similar to what we see offline and call for careful, data-backed efforts.

NOI Poll results in 2022 discovered that 60% of Nigerians believe those who are sexually harassed have some responsibility. After switching to the digital world, this belief results in more trolling, cyberstalking and doxxing. Only by working on these standards together can Nigeria build an inclusive and safe internet.

 

1. Implementing Digital Literacy and Empathy Education

Building digital safety in Nigeria starts by teaching people what is right and wrong on the internet. Part of the curriculum should cover teaching empathy, giving and respecting consent and respect while using technology. For instance, schools and colleges could start digital citizenship initiatives to help recognize abuse on the internet and support the formation of compassionate groups there.

Both Stand to End Rape (STER) and She Writes Woman have already started programs to help, offering workshops and online information. Spreading these actions throughout the country could replace the common reaction to blame a victim with one that helps and supports them.

 

2. Legislative Action and Policy Enforcement

Nigeria is in the process of creating new laws for digital rights. Several acts of online harm are criminalized by the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) The Act of 2015 in Nigeria, but its application is not effective. Often, people experiencing crime do not get the attention they need and may be traumatized again as they report the event.

People who commit Human Trafficking should be punished, and better measures are needed to keep victims out of danger. By setting up digital safety desks in law enforcement agencies run by people aware of how cyberbullying occurs in Nigeria, the police could close the gap.

Having the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) cooperate with civil groups will help develop a national digital rights charter. The document allows social media platforms and local ISPs to be called out if they do not control abuse effectively.

 

3. Supporting Survivors by Providing Digital Help and Guidance

Fighting victim blaming online includes teaching survivors how to guard themselves online. You should also learn about how to use educational resources, change your privacy preferences and use tools for digital forensics. To support Nigerians, tech companies should design a simple procedure for reporting harmful content and make safety tools suited to the country's culture available.

Also, apps like HarassMap and digital safety toolkits by Access Now can be made available locally and promoted to people through public actions. Thanks to these resources, survivors can prove the abuse, request help and find legal guidance, so they are less exposed and can improve their circumstances.

 

3. Empowering Survivors with Digital Tools and Resources

We use the images and stories we find in the media to shape our outlooks. People working in media and digital spaces in Nigeria should work to move African history forward. Rather than building stories around a victim's mistakes or making it exciting, the content should be about the bravery of victims, why abuse occurs and why a change is needed.

#ArewaMeToo and #SayNoToRape social media movements have shown that storytelling works well in changing typical narratives. Those with a large online following in Nigeria can support empathy by making content that addresses the issues and stories of victims.

 

5. Building Digital Safe Spaces and Support Networks

Safety within online groups acts as a barrier to the impact of online abuse in Nigeria. Forum pages, special Telegram groups and managed online communities allow survivors to get both support and ideas without facing criticism.

They also need to act as centers where users can share strategies to oppose victim blaming and spot dangerous trends right away. Listening to anonymous stories, joining in peer talks and partnering with experts in mental health help people rebuild their faith in trust and strengthen their psychology.

 

6. Holding Social Media Platforms Accountable 

Nigeria's digital culture is being shaped by the actions of big technology companies. Writing community guidelines in the local language, recruiting content moderators aware of Nigeria and cooperating with area advocacy communities will improve the way reports about abuse are handled.

Moreover, all platforms need to ensure their algorithms are reliable. A lot of social media sites, by accident, give greater attention to inflammatory posts, some of which encourage blaming the victims. If companies have clear policies and make their decisions ethically, they will not help harmful narratives rise to prominence.

 

7. Pushing for People to Stand Against Bullying

Often, teaming up helps those who speak out against victim blaming be much louder. Nigerians need to recognize online bullying, back up victims and contradict any dangerous statements. This applies to everyone, asking that anyone who sees abuse online take action by reporting, commenting contrary to it or showing their support.

Civic tech can create browser apps or software for smartphones that help users join together to report threats, or they can receive pre-made messages that are caring and supportive. Using hashtags or hosting virtual events helps many people speak out and support each other.

 

Conclusion

It's not surprising that individuals get blamed for crimes in Nigeria's online space, because the problems also touch wider society. If we hope to change this, we should review what it means to feel safe and supported in this era of technology.

We have to take on education, policy changes, personal stories and changes in technology all at the same time. They provide a roadmap both for keeping us safe and for transforming our digital public spaces into places that honor us, are sympathetic to our needs and are just.

For Nigeria to be free from victim blaming in the digital sphere, we must accept that old ways of thinking about power, gender and who is responsible affect more than just technology. It also implies seeing that digital areas give us chances to test out new kinds of interactions through empathy, accountability and mutual support.

Solving online harassment in Nigeria requires local, inclusive and persistent answers. Nigeria's solutions to cyberbullying include taking action against harmful posts as well as creating ways to help victims, stop perpetrators and respect the rights of every Nigerian online.

Properly improving online safety and respect should be something all of us work towards. It's not enough to use hashtags against online victim blaming; we must show empathy, take action and work for equality online.