Developing Security Consciousness among Nigerian Youths: Do Self-Esteem and Self-Awareness Matter?

Background: The progressive worsening of insecurity in Nigeria has amplified concerns for more security consciousness. Despite the clamour for safety and security consciousness in the country, achieving optimal safety and security is challenging. Although there is a growing need for sustained safety, little research implicates the youth who have been found to be at the heart of insecurity. This study attempts to fill this knowledge gap. Objective: The study sought to investigate how self-esteem and self-awareness can play crucial roles in cultivating a strong security consciousness in youths. Methodology: The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design, using a convenient sampling technique to sample 302 undergraduate students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Three instruments, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Self-Awareness Inventory, and the Security Consciousness Scale (SCS), were used for data collection. Young students were included as inclusion criteria, while older students were excluded. Results: The regression results showed that self-esteem significantly predicted security consciousness (β = 0.14) whereas self-awareness did not. Self-esteem is implicated in security consciousness such that people with low esteem cared less about their safety than people with high esteem, whereas self-awareness was not. Conclusion: The development of security consciousness is a function of high self-esteem rather than being aware of oneself as has been speculated by most experts. Unique contribution: This study has provided evidence suggesting that adequate security consciousness requires efforts that are geared towards building youth’s esteem, as opposed to mere awareness of oneself. Key recommendation: Youth empowerment has been proposed by this study as an effective means of fostering self-esteem and enhancing security consciousness among young individuals.