Understanding at-risk behavior: The role of media consumption in criminology students

International research keeps looking at the general effects of media, there’s a growing need to study how media use affects future criminal justice workers, like criminology students. This study investigates at how both media use relates to risky behaviors among criminology students at STI West Negros University. Previous studies have demonstrated the prevalence of modern media use and identified the presence of high-risk behaviors among adolescents, including self-harm and sharing of sexually explicit messages. This study used a quantitative method and descriptive cross-sectional survey design to explore the relationship between media consumption and whether there is a significant difference between the traditional and modern media according to their profile. The study was conducted on criminology students of STI West Negros University to determine the impact of media consumption on the at-risk behavior of criminology students. Date was collected from 323 respondents using the proportional allocation formula, which ensures that each year level is represented proportionally. The study employed statistical tools including frequency count, mean, standard deviation, T-test, and ANOVA to analyze respondents’ profiles and assess significant differences in their exposure to traditional and modern media. The study found that most criminology students at STI West Negros University were first-year males who used media for 3 hours or less, with overall moderate exposure to both media, suggesting minimal risk of at-risk behavior. Statistical analysis showed significant differences in media exposure based on year level and media consumption, while sex had no significant effect on exposure levels.