A Study of Awareness on Cybercrime among Students of Constituent Colleges of Cluster University Jammu

The rapid expansion of digital technologies and wide spread Internet use have significantly transformed contemporary life, particularly in the field of education. While cyberspace offers immense opportunities for learning, communication, and information sharing, it has also led to a sharp rise in cybercrime, exposing students to risks such as cyber fraud, identity theft, cyber bullying, and privacy violations. In this context, the present study investigates the level of cybercrime awareness among students of Constituent Colleges of Cluster University of Jammu. The study aims to assess overall awareness levels and examine differences in cybercrime awareness with respect to gender and area (urban and rural). A descriptive survey method was employed, and a sample of 200 undergraduate students was selected through random sampling from five Constituent Government Colleges of Cluster University of Jammu. The Cybercrime Awareness Scale (CCAS) developed by Tibi et al. (2019) was used for data collection. Statistical techniques such as percentages, means, standard deviations, and the t-test were applied for data analysis. The findings revealed that the majority of students possessed an average level of cybercrime awareness, while a smaller proportion demonstrated high awareness and a negligible number exhibited low awareness. A significant difference was found between male and female students, with female students showing higher cybercrime awareness. However, no significant difference was observed between students belonging to urban and rural areas. The study highlights that although students demonstrate moderate awareness of cybercrime, there remains a need for systematic and structured awareness programmes. The findings underscore the importance of integrating cybercrime and cyber security education into higher education curricula to promote safe, responsible, and informed use of digital technologies among university students.