Tackling hate speech online: The effect of counter-speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentions
Counter-speech is considered a promising tool to address hate speech online, notably, by promoting bystander reactions that could attenuate the prevalence or further dissemination of hate. However, it remains unclear which types of counter-speech are most effective in attaining these goals and whic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Masaryk University
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberpspace |
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| Online Access: | https://cyberpsychology.eu/article/view/38275 |
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| author | Yue Jia Sandy Schumann |
| author_facet | Yue Jia Sandy Schumann |
| author_sort | Yue Jia |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Counter-speech is considered a promising tool to address hate speech online, notably, by promoting bystander reactions that could attenuate the prevalence or further dissemination of hate. However, it remains unclear which types of counter-speech are most effective in attaining these goals and which might backfire. Advancing the literature, we examined the effect of four types of counter-speech (i.e., educating the perpetrator, calling on others to intervene, diverting the conversation, and abusing the perpetrator) on a range of bystander behavioral intentions in an experimental study (N = 250, UK-based adults). Overall, counter-speech did not affect bystanders’ subsequent responses to hate speech. Having said this, as expected, diversionary counter-speech increased intentions to ignore hate speech, which suggests unintended consequences. The study illustrates that counter-speech may not be sufficiently impactful in regulating bystanders’ reactions to hate speech online.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d59873d8843340909f469313a9e411f7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1802-7962 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Masaryk University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberpspace |
| spelling | doaj-art-d59873d8843340909f469313a9e411f72025-02-01T07:24:24ZengMasaryk UniversityCyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberpspace1802-79622025-01-0119110.5817/CP2025-1-4Tackling hate speech online: The effect of counter-speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentionsYue Jia0Sandy Schumann1Social Research Institute, University College London, London, UKDepartment of Security and Crime Science, University College London, London, UK Counter-speech is considered a promising tool to address hate speech online, notably, by promoting bystander reactions that could attenuate the prevalence or further dissemination of hate. However, it remains unclear which types of counter-speech are most effective in attaining these goals and which might backfire. Advancing the literature, we examined the effect of four types of counter-speech (i.e., educating the perpetrator, calling on others to intervene, diverting the conversation, and abusing the perpetrator) on a range of bystander behavioral intentions in an experimental study (N = 250, UK-based adults). Overall, counter-speech did not affect bystanders’ subsequent responses to hate speech. Having said this, as expected, diversionary counter-speech increased intentions to ignore hate speech, which suggests unintended consequences. The study illustrates that counter-speech may not be sufficiently impactful in regulating bystanders’ reactions to hate speech online. https://cyberpsychology.eu/article/view/38275hate speechbystander interventionbystander reactioncounter-speechonline experiment |
| spellingShingle | Yue Jia Sandy Schumann Tackling hate speech online: The effect of counter-speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentions Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberpspace hate speech bystander intervention bystander reaction counter-speech online experiment |
| title | Tackling hate speech online: The effect of counter-speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentions |
| title_full | Tackling hate speech online: The effect of counter-speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentions |
| title_fullStr | Tackling hate speech online: The effect of counter-speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tackling hate speech online: The effect of counter-speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentions |
| title_short | Tackling hate speech online: The effect of counter-speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentions |
| title_sort | tackling hate speech online the effect of counter speech on subsequent bystander behavioral intentions |
| topic | hate speech bystander intervention bystander reaction counter-speech online experiment |
| url | https://cyberpsychology.eu/article/view/38275 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuejia tacklinghatespeechonlinetheeffectofcounterspeechonsubsequentbystanderbehavioralintentions AT sandyschumann tacklinghatespeechonlinetheeffectofcounterspeechonsubsequentbystanderbehavioralintentions |