What Influences the Way We Deal with Online Hate Speech?
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Keywords

Mixed-Methods
WhatsApp
silence
Social Media

How to Cite

Josupeit, Christina. 2023. “What Influences the Way We Deal With Online Hate Speech? A Study Explaining Different Reactions to Online Hate Speech Depending on Situational and Personal Factors”. MediaEducation: Journal for Theory and Practice of Media Education 19 (Jahrbuch Medienpädagogik):87-114. https://doi.org/10.21240/mpaed/jb19/2023.03.04.X.

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Abstract

In order to answer the question whether and to what extent the reaction to Online Hate Speech (OHS) depends on specific situational and personal characteristics, a multi-level procedure with a mixed-methods approach is planned and partly already implemented. This paper presents some interim results from the preliminary investigation. Here, a real-life situation in which students had been confronted with antisemitic posts within a WhatsApp group chat was retrospectively analyzed. Problem-centered interviews with group members were conducted (n = 6) and a standardized survey among group members was analyzed descriptively (n = 115). It was found that the majority of students surveyed remained silent in response to OHS and that this mode of response was largely justified by the discussion process. Individuals who did speak up related more to OHS itself in their rationale. The findings lead us to take a critical look at previous theoretical references to explain silence in such a situation. Conclusions for the main part of the study are discussed.

https://doi.org/10.21240/mpaed/jb19/2023.03.04.X

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