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Article

Youth Exposure to Hate in the Online Space: An Exploratory Analysis

1
Emergency Preparedness, Research, Evaluation, and Practice Program, Division of Policy Translation and Leadership Development, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
2
Center for Terrorism and Security Studies, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
3
Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
4
Operation 250, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(22), 8531; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228531
Received: 15 October 2020 / Revised: 9 November 2020 / Accepted: 11 November 2020 / Published: 17 November 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cyber-Victimization Prevention among Adolescents)
Today’s youth have extensive access to the internet and frequently engage in social networking activities using various social media platforms and devices. This is a phenomenon that hate groups are exploiting when disseminating their propaganda. This study seeks to better understand youth exposure to hateful material in the online space by exploring predictors of such exposure including demographic characteristics (age, gender, and race), academic performance, online behaviors, online disinhibition, risk perception, and parents/guardians’ supervision of online activities. We implemented a cross-sectional study design, using a paper questionnaire, in two high schools in Massachusetts (USA), focusing on students 14 to 19 years old. Logistic regression models were used to study the association between independent variables (demographics, online behaviors, risk perception, parental supervision) and exposure to hate online. Results revealed an association between exposure to hate messages in the online space and time spent online, academic performance, communicating with a stranger on social media, and benign online disinhibition. In our sample, benign online disinhibition was also associated with students’ risk of encountering someone online that tried to convince them of racist views. This study represents an important contribution to understanding youth’s risk factors of exposure to hateful material online. View Full-Text
Keywords: online hate; hate speech; online disinhibition; online safety online hate; hate speech; online disinhibition; online safety
MDPI and ACS Style

Harriman, N.; Shortland, N.; Su, M.; Cote, T.; Testa, M.A.; Savoia, E. Youth Exposure to Hate in the Online Space: An Exploratory Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8531. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228531

AMA Style

Harriman N, Shortland N, Su M, Cote T, Testa MA, Savoia E. Youth Exposure to Hate in the Online Space: An Exploratory Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(22):8531. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228531

Chicago/Turabian Style

Harriman, Nigel, Neil Shortland, Max Su, Tyler Cote, Marcia A. Testa, and Elena Savoia. 2020. "Youth Exposure to Hate in the Online Space: An Exploratory Analysis" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 22: 8531. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228531

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