What is online hate?
Online hate refers to language or actions that target a particular characteristic of an individual or group of people in the digital space. Many of these characteristics, such as race or ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, and religion, are protected by law. Therefore, workplaces, educational institutions, and other areas cannot discriminate based on these characteristics.
Communities online have established rules against online hate. As a result, moderation teams may remove hateful or harmful content and ban users from sharing it. If your child encounters online hate, encourage them to report the user to the moderation team. This can help create a more positive online environment.
How can online hate affect children?
Online hate speech can have significant negative impacts on children. Some of the ways it can affect children are:
- Emotional distress: Hate speech can be hurtful and offensive, and can cause emotional distress to children. Children may feel anxious, stressed, and depressed as a result of exposure to hate speech.
- Self-esteem issues: Children who are targets of hate speech may begin to internalize the negative messages and develop self-esteem issues. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.
- Cyberbullying: Hate speech can be a form of cyberbullying, which can have devastating effects on children. Cyberbullying can lead to social isolation, anxiety, and depression.
- Normalization of hate: Exposure to hate speech can lead children to believe that this type of behavior is normal or acceptable. This can contribute to a culture of hate and intolerance.
- Physical harm: In extreme cases, online hate speech can lead to physical harm. Children may be targeted for violence or harassment based on their race, religion, or other characteristics.
It’s essential to teach children about online hate speech and how to respond to it. Encouraging children to speak out against hate speech and promoting positive messages of tolerance and acceptance can help create a safer online environment for everyone.
Prevent cyber misogyny
Misogyny refers to the hatred and discrimination against women and girls. This type of hate is often perpetuated through various online communities that are part of what is known as the ‘manosphere.’
Misogynistic language may suggest that women are inferior to men and should conform to specific gender stereotypes. Additionally, some messaging encourages boys and men to treat women poorly or as a separate species. This can be extremely harmful to young men’s understanding of positive relationships and young women’s sense of self and safety.
In this article, we’ll explore one girl’s experience with misogyny in online football forums and how her father established a counter-narrative to combat this harmful behavior.
Gender Stereotypes
Gender stereotypes are widely-held beliefs or assumptions about how men and women should behave, think, or feel based on their gender. These stereotypes often reinforce traditional societal expectations about gender roles, such as the idea that women are emotional and nurturing while men are strong and rational. These stereotypes can limit individuals’ opportunities, affect their self-esteem, and contribute to discrimination and inequality based on gender. For instance, gender stereotypes can suggest that certain careers or activities are only suitable for one gender or the other, which can discourage people from pursuing their interests and goals.
Can cybermisogyny affect children?
Yes, exposing children to cyber misogyny can have a significant impact on their perspective on women. If children are exposed to cyber misogyny, they may start to believe that such behavior towards women is acceptable, which can lead to them normalizing it. This can be particularly problematic for young boys, who may grow up with a warped sense of what is appropriate behavior towards women.
Additionally, exposure to cyber misogyny can have a negative impact on girls and young women, who may internalize the negative messages about women that are perpetuated through this type of speech. It can lead to a lack of self-esteem and a distorted self-image, as well as feelings of fear, anxiety, and insecurity.
Therefore, it is important for parents, educators, and society at large to take measures to address and prevent cyber misogyny and its harmful effects on children and youth. This can include promoting positive attitudes towards women, providing education on respectful communication and behavior, and creating safe spaces where children and young people can express themselves without fear of harassment or discrimination.
Online racism
Racism is discrimination based on a person’s ethnicity or skin color. It is a prevalent problem that often goes unnoticed, particularly among children. For instance, calling someone a racial slur in a video game may seem like a joke, but it normalizes the term and perpetuates online hate. This type of behavior can also desensitize children to racism and its harmful effects.
Online racism can take many forms, including hateful language, slurs, and blanket statements. It can appear in videos, comments, voice chat, and images across various social media and video gaming communities. It’s important to recognize that racism is not a joke or something to be ignored. Instead, we must all work together to combat it and create a more inclusive and respectful online environment.
Online religious discrimination
Online religious discrimination refers to discriminatory behavior that targets individuals or groups based on their religion or religious beliefs in the digital space. This type of discrimination can manifest in various forms, such as cyberbullying, hate speech, harassment, or exclusion from online communities.
Examples of online religious discrimination may include making derogatory comments about a particular religion, using religious slurs, sharing offensive memes or videos, or spreading misinformation about a religion. In some cases, individuals may be denied access to online platforms or services because of their religion or beliefs.
Online religious discrimination can have harmful effects on individuals, including emotional distress, social isolation, and threats to personal safety. It is important to promote respect and tolerance for diverse religious beliefs and to create a safe and inclusive online environment where people can express their beliefs freely without fear of discrimination or harassment.
Hate against LGBTQ+
Online hate against the LGBTQI+ community refers to discriminatory behavior that targets individuals or groups based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression in the digital space. This type of hate can manifest in various forms, such as cyberbullying, hate speech, harassment, or exclusion from online communities.
Examples of online hate against the LGBTQI+ community may include making derogatory comments about someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity, using homophobic or transphobic slurs, sharing offensive memes or videos, or spreading misinformation about the LGBTQI+ community. In some cases, individuals may be denied access to online platforms or services because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Online hate against the LGBTQI+ community can have harmful effects on individuals, including emotional distress, social isolation, and threats to personal safety. It is important to promote respect and acceptance for diverse sexual orientations and gender identities and to create a safe and inclusive online environment where people can express their identity freely without fear of discrimination or harassment.
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to describe prejudice, discrimination, or hatred against people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+). It is rooted in the belief that heterosexuality is the only acceptable sexual orientation and that non-heterosexual orientations are immoral, abnormal, or inferior.
Homophobia can manifest in different ways, ranging from derogatory language and jokes to violence and hate crimes. It can also lead to discrimination and exclusion from social, cultural, or economic opportunities, such as employment, housing, healthcare, and education.
Homophobia can have serious negative impacts on the mental and physical health of LGBTQ+ individuals, including increased risk of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicide. It is important to challenge and address homophobia in all its forms to promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Biphobia and transphobia
Biphobia and transphobia are forms of discrimination and prejudice against people who are bisexual or transgender, respectively.
Biphobia
Biphobia refers to negative attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors towards people who identify as bisexual or whose sexual orientation includes attraction to both men and women. Biphobia can take many forms, including stereotypes that bisexuality is a phase or that bisexual individuals are promiscuous, untrustworthy, or confused. Biphobia can lead to erasure and invisibility of bisexuality, exclusion from LGBTQ+ communities, and increased risk of mental health issues and physical violence.
Transphobia
Transphobia refers to negative attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors towards people who are transgender, gender non-conforming, or whose gender identity does not align with the sex assigned at birth. Transphobia can take many forms, including misgendering, using derogatory language, denying access to gender-affirming healthcare, or perpetrating violence against transgender individuals. Transphobia can lead to stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion, as well as increased risk of mental health issues and physical harm.
It is important to challenge and address biphobia and transphobia in all their forms to promote equality, diversity, and inclusivity for all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.