The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has raised concern over the growing incidence of Technology-Facilitated Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (TFSGBV), revealing that the state has recorded 41 cases of such offences — a worrying trend that underscores the urgent need for digital safety and awareness.
The Agency made this known during a comprehensive sensitization programme for secondary school students held on Tuesday, aimed at addressing the emerging challenge of technology-related sexual and gender-based violence.
The event, themed “Technology and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)”, brought together 100 students from Ojo Senior High School, Ojo Junior High School, Community Senior and Junior Secondary School, and Lagos State Senior and Junior Model College, Ojo under Education District V, along with their teachers and the District Counsellor.
Representing the Executive Secretary of DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, the Agency’s Head of Community Engagement, Mr. Damilare Adewusi, emphasized the critical importance of digital responsibility and civic awareness in today’s technology-driven society.
He urged the students to leverage their influence as digital natives by becoming ambassadors for safe online conduct and advocates against all forms of technology-facilitated abuse within their schools and communities.
“The rise of technology has brought new opportunities but also new dangers,” Adewusi said. “Young people must understand how to protect themselves online, identify harmful behaviours such as cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and digital harassment, and report such cases through the DSVA’s toll-free line for confidential support.”
The interactive session featured discussions on cyberbullying, image-based abuse, online grooming, and digital harassment, providing students with practical tools to recognize and respond to potential threats in the digital space.
According to the DSVA, this advocacy effort forms part of the Lagos State Government’s zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, including those perpetrated through online and digital platforms.
The Agency reaffirmed its commitment to building a safer digital environment for young people while ensuring that victims of abuse have access to justice, counselling, and rehabilitation.
