The online hate speech cycle of violence
- Adolescents around the globe are increasingly exposed to online hate speech (OHS). And yet little is known about the varying roles of involvement and the determinants of adolescents' hate speech perpetration. Building on previous research, this study aims to test the cycle of violence hypothesis for OHS and to analyze whether moral disengagement (MD) and empathy moderate the victim-to-perpetrator relationship. The sample consists of 3,560 seventh to ninth graders (52.1 percent girls), recruited from 40 schools across Germany and Switzerland. Self-report questionnaires were administered to assess OHS involvement, MD, and empathy. Multilevel analyses revealed that victims of OHS were more likely to report OHS perpetration. In addition, victims of OHS were more likely to report OHS perpetration when they reported higher levels of MD than those with lower levels of MD. Finally, victims of OHS were less likely to report OHS perpetration when they reported higher levels of empathy than those with lower levels of empathy. TheAdolescents around the globe are increasingly exposed to online hate speech (OHS). And yet little is known about the varying roles of involvement and the determinants of adolescents' hate speech perpetration. Building on previous research, this study aims to test the cycle of violence hypothesis for OHS and to analyze whether moral disengagement (MD) and empathy moderate the victim-to-perpetrator relationship. The sample consists of 3,560 seventh to ninth graders (52.1 percent girls), recruited from 40 schools across Germany and Switzerland. Self-report questionnaires were administered to assess OHS involvement, MD, and empathy. Multilevel analyses revealed that victims of OHS were more likely to report OHS perpetration. In addition, victims of OHS were more likely to report OHS perpetration when they reported higher levels of MD than those with lower levels of MD. Finally, victims of OHS were less likely to report OHS perpetration when they reported higher levels of empathy than those with lower levels of empathy. The findings extend the cycle of violence hypothesis to OHS and highlight the need to address MD and empathy in hate speech prevention. Implications for future research will be discussed.…
Author details: | Sebastian WachsORCiDGND, Ludwig BilzORCiD, Alexander Wettstein, Michelle F. Wright, Norman KrauseORCiD, Cindy BallaschkORCiD, Julia Kansok-Dusche |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2021.0159 |
ISSN: | 2152-2715 |
ISSN: | 2152-2723 |
Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35172113 |
Title of parent work (English): | Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking |
Subtitle (English): | moderating effects of moral disengagement and empathy in the victim-to-perpetrator relationship |
Publisher: | Liebert |
Place of publishing: | New Rochelle |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2022/04/12 |
Publication year: | 2022 |
Release date: | 2024/06/12 |
Tag: | adolescents; cyberhate; disengagement; empathy; hate speech; moral; online discrimination |
Volume: | 25 |
Issue: | 4 |
Number of pages: | 7 |
First page: | 223 |
Last Page: | 229 |
Funding institution: | German Research Foundation (DFG) [WA 4275/2-1, BI 1046/9-1, SCHU; 1370/4-1]; University of Teacher Education Bern [19s 0008 01] |
Organizational units: | Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Strukturbereich Kognitionswissenschaften / Department Psychologie |
DDC classification: | 1 Philosophie und Psychologie / 15 Psychologie / 150 Psychologie |
Peer review: | Referiert |
License (German): | Keine öffentliche Lizenz: Unter Urheberrechtsschutz |