Enhancing Cybersecurity Resilience in African Children Through Culturally Tailored Comics

Abstract This study assesses how well a culturally appropriate comic book intervention increases preteen knowledge of cybersecurity between the ages of 10 and 13. The comic book group and the traditional notes group were randomly assigned to 300 participants from five Rwandan primary schools. From well-resourced private schools to under-resourced public and refugee camp schools, the schools represented a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Cybersecurity knowledge was assessed before and after the intervention and the results were analyzed using paired sample t-tests. With t statistics ranging from 2.14 to 7.74 and p-values < 0.05, the comic book group showed significant improvements in all schools. In particular, the post-test scores in one of the schools, which is public and located in a rural location with few resources, improved by 75%. The feedback of the students showed strong levels of involvement, with 90% praising the African cultural characteristics and 95% finding the stories relatable. These results imply that, regardless of preteen socioeconomic status, culturally appropriate instructional resources can successfully raise awareness of cybersecurity.