Who is particularly affected by hate speech? And what can be done?

The term “hate speech” refers to devaluation of people because of their (supposed) affiliation to a group or their identity. Hate speech is therefore often an expression of group-related misanthropy. A person is often very directly insulted or threatened in a sexist, racist, queer-hostile, disability-hostile, or other way.

Several researchers talk about their experiences in the external page Nature Career Podcast.

Approach

1. Stop focussing on offensive people or channels and focus instead on the things that are more important.
2. Engage with people online who are actually willing to listen (in terms of content).
3. Define or reduce the time windows in which you are potentially confronted with hate speech, e.g.:
   Only use social media and apps in selected time slots or no longer have them installed on your mobile phone. If tasks on social media are required for work (e.g. posting about a new paper), social media should only be used during working hours and for this purpose.
4. Block offensive people or channels.
5. Stay connected (online) with the scientific community and build networks.
6. Save positive or supportive messages from others in a folder and view them when you feel discouraged. As external page Katharine Hayhoe, one of the scientists in the podcast, puts it: " It [positive messages] just absolutely restores my faith in humanity and gives me that encouragement to keep on going."
7. Turn to external contact points that support individuals affected by hate speech: external page NetzCourage's NetzAmbulanz (limited capacity) and external page Scicomm (for scientists and science communicators).

Countering hate speech

1. The most important thing when countering hate speech is to have the courage to become active (e.g. to comment as well).
2. Hate comments on the internet can sometimes be effectively reduced if the authors of hate speech can empathise with those affected. This is shown in a scientific study conducted by ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich as part of the "external page Stop Hate Speech" project.
3. The study showed that responses appealing to empathy with those affected by hate speech (e.g. "Your post is very painful for migrants...") are particularly effective in persuading perpetrators to change their behaviour.

ETH Zurich's commitment: The university works with the external page Public Discourse Foundation and external page Stop Hate Speech, among others, to address hate and insults on the internet in an innovative way and to put scientific findings into practice.

There are also external support organisations in Switzerland and German-speaking countries that support individuals affected by hate speech: external page NetzCourage's external page NetzAmbulanz (limited capacity) and external page Scicomm (for scientists and science communicators).

Contact

We are looking forward to your questions and suggestions.