Attitudes towards the hate speech in Poland Results of empirical survey conducted by the Warsaw University Centre for Research on Prejudice and the Stefan.

Attitudes towards the hate speech in Poland

Results of empirical survey conducted by the Warsaw University Centre for Research on

Prejudice and the Stefan Batory Foundation

Survey objectives

• To describe the attitudes of adult and young Poles to the hate speech• To understand the reasons for indulgency towards the hate speech• To learn where the hate speech is most commonly encountered by Poles • To explain the effects of the hate speech on attitudes towards minorities

Survey structure

Selection of examples based on Internet analyses

Evaluation of examples by

minorities (pretest)

Content analysis by psychologists

(concept mapping)

Proper survey on samples of adults and young people

Survey structure

1. Selection of hate speech examples– 30 hateful statements for every selected minority– Statements taken from the Polish Internet: database from “Minority

Report” prepared by Local Knowledge Foundation– 2 additional hateful statements from public persons (celebrities,

politicians, professors, well-known personalities) for every minority– Statements of various degree of hatred: typical hate speech and

“rationalising” hate speech

Survey structure

2. Evaluation of hate speech examples by representatives of minorities– 276 people from various minority groups– Most numerous groups: LGBTQ and people of Jewish descent– CAWI methodology– Selection of a balanced list of hate speech examples representing

similar degree of hatred.

Jews Ukrainians Romani people Black people Sexual minori-ties

Muslims1

4

7

10

9.4 9.3

8.2

9.8 9.6

7.5

9.3

8.3 8.2 8.28.6

7.8

typical hate speech rationalizing hate speech

Survey structure

3. Content analysis.– Sorting the statements by assessors– Assessors: 6 social psychologists specialising in research on

stereotypes– Grouping the 180 statements into different categories– Making the categories quantitatively coherent

Jews African people

LGBT Russians Romani people

Ukrainians All state-ments

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

0%

100%

0%

13%

0% 0%

19%

60%

0%

0%

0%

10%

0%

12%

0%

0%

0%

17%

67%

0%

14%

3%

0%

0%

30%

0%

57%

15%

27%

0%

0%

7%

0%

23%9%

0%

0%

77%

0%

0%0%

13%

10%

0%

3%

10%

13% 3%7%

0% 0%

20% 23%

10%17%

12%

Savage people / No civilisation / No intelligence It's their fault / hostility is "justified" Theft / swindle / scamMurder / agression / genocide History - guilt and ingratitude towards Poles DisgustThey dislike us / Others dislike them as well Neutral

Survey structure

4. Proper survey– Survey on a representative random sample of adult Poles (N = 1007)– Survey on a representative random sample of young people aged 16-

18 years (N = 653)– Measurement of evaluations of the given examples of hate speech

(admissible-forbidden, offensive-non-offensive)– Measurement of psychological, social and demographic variables

explaining the reasons– Measurement of the occurrence of the hate speech in environment

SURVEY RESULTS

Acceptance for the hate speech towards Jews: Examples

1. As far as sheenies and hostility towards them are concerned, it is only a real assessment of the actions of these louses and Davidian fascists.

2. Jews must realize that they themselves made Poles to hate them because of their treachery and their crimes. And today, they try to hide their crimes and pass the buck.

3. Jews are blinded by their hatred and desire to take revenge. That’s the main reason why they joined the Bolshevik security apparatus, then the Soviet security apparatus on the Polish eastern borderlands, and finally the secret political police after the war.

Hate speech towards Jews: to allow or to forbid?

Adul

ts

Youn

g

peo-

ple

Adul

ts

Youn

g

peo-

ple

Adul

ts

Youn

g

peo-

ple

1. As far as sheenies are concerned…

2. Jews must real-ize that…

3. Jews are blinded by their …

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

10% 10%19% 21% 18% 22%6%

10%

14% 15% 16%17%

80%78%

61%63%

57%56%

4% 2% 6% 2%9% 5%

Refusal to answer

Forbidden

No clear opinion

Allowed

Hate speech towards Jews in respondents’ environment

Adu

lts

You

ng

peo

ple

Adu

lts

You

ng

peo

ple

Adu

lts

You

ng

peo

ple

1. As far as sheenies are concerned…

2. Jews must real-ize that…

3. Jews are blinded by their

…

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

10% 10%19% 21% 18% 22%6% 10%

14% 15% 16%17%

80%78%

61% 63%57%

56%

4% 2% 6% 2%9% 5%

Refusal to answer

Forbidden

No clear opin-ion

Allowed

Correlates of attitudes towards the hate speech

Stereotype - competenceStereotype - warmth

Symbolic dangerReal danger

Anti-Israeli attitudeTraditional anti-semitism

Conspirational anti-semitismSecondary anti-semitism

AutoritarianismVerbal aggression

Oriented for social dominationSupport for censorship

ReligiousnessParticipation in religious observances

Right-wing views

-0.30 -0.14 0.02 0.19 0.35

Young people

Adults

Acceptance for the hate speech towards Ukrainians: Examples

1. The Ukrainians can only murder defenceless women and children.2. Freaking Ukrainian, for sure he’s a descendant of the Tryzub gang!!3. No, I fired my Ukrainian girl.F: Good idea... I haven’t thought about it... You

know? I will not pay her today.W: And I will let mine to come back, take the money from her, and fire her again.F: I tell you, if mine was a bit prettier, I would still rape her.W: Oh... I don’t know how mine looks like, because she’s on her knees all the time.

Hate speech towards Ukrainians: to allow or to forbid?

Adul

ts You

ng

peo

ple

Adul

ts You

ng

peo

ple

Adul

ts You

ng

peo

ple

1. The Ukraini-ans can only …

2. Freaking Ukrainian...

3. No, I fired…

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

10% 10% 8% 10% 6% 5%

9% 7% 10% 8%6% 3%

77% 82% 76% 77%82% 91%

4% 1% 6% 5% 6% 2%

Refusal to answerForbiddenNo clear opin-ionAllowed

Hate speech towards Ukrainians in respondents’ environment

In other situations

When talking with friends

Demonstration (speaker)

Demonstration (participants)

Internet

Papers

Radio

TV

0% 13% 25% 38% 50%

2%

19%

1%

1%

26%

6%

9%

20%

1%

21%

1%

1%

46%

4%

5%

12%

Young people Adults


Right-wing views

Support for censorship

Oriented towards social domination

Verbal aggression

Authoritarianism

Anti-Ukrainian attitudes

Real danger

Symbolic danger

Stereotype - warmth

Stereotype - competences

-0.3 0 0.3Young people Adults

Acceptance for the hate speech towards Romani people: Examples

1. I still think that Gypsies are thieves and sluts, they belong to mafia and organised crime when theft and beggary are concerned.

2. For us such larceny is an exception, but for Gypsies it is normal.3. Gypsies are and will be thieves.

Hate speech towards Romani people: to allow or to forbid?

Adults Young people

Adults Young people

Adults Young people

1. I still think that...

2. For us such larceny…

3. Gypsies are thieves …

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

21% 20% 20% 23%16% 16%

14% 12% 16% 10%15% 9%

63% 67% 60% 66% 66% 74%

2% 1% 4% 1% 3% 1%

Refusal to answerForbiddenNo clear opin-ionAllowed

Hate speech towards Romani people in respondents’ environment

In other situations



Demonstration (partic-ipants)

Internet

Papers

Radio

TV

0% 18% 35% 53% 70%

8%

49%

1%

2%

27%

9%

6%

22%

4%

60%

2%

3%

66%

5%

4%

12%

Young people


Right-wing views



Verbal aggression

Authoritarianism

Anti-Romani attitudes

Real danger

Symbolic danger

Stereotype - warmth

Stereotype - competences

-0.3 0 0.3Young people Adults

Acceptance for the hate speech towards black people: Examples

1. Negros are not humans but monkeys.2. If negroes are equal, then why after thousands of years they invented only

tam-tams.3. My friends, here comes a Negro. (…) Come here, my brother! He hasn’t

washed himself at all, look!

Hate speech towards black people: to allow or to forbid?

Adults Young people

Adults Young people

Adults Young people

1. Negros are not …

2. If negroes are equal…

3. My friends, here comes…

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

5% 6%12% 14% 8% 9%3% 3%

12% 12%

8% 6%

89% 91%71% 72%

81% 85%

2% 1% 4% 2% 3% 1%

Refusal to answer

Forbidden

No clear opinion

Allowed

Hate speech towards black people in respondents’ environment

In other situations




Internet

Papers

Radio

TV

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

5%

30%

1%

3%

29%

9%

7%

25%

2%

58%

1%

3%

70%

5%

3%

15%

Young people Adults


Stereotype - competence

Stereotype - warmth

Symbolic danger

Real danger

Authoritarianism

Verbal aggression



Religiousness

Participation in religious observances

Right-wing views

-0.30 -0.15 0.00 0.15 0.30

Young people Adults

Acceptance for the hate speech towards LGBT persons: Examples

1. I detest poofs - they are degenerate human beings, they should be treated.2. I’m sorry, but gay people make me feel an organic, natural, typically male

disgust...3. I understand that some people can have homosexual inclinations, this is a

kind of handicap, weakness [...] But poofs-activists who want privileges for homo relationships and child adoption should be fought...

Hate speech towards LGBT persons: to allow or to forbid?

Adults Young people

Adults Young people

Adults Young people

1. I detest poofs… 2. I’m sorry, but gay people...

3. I understand that some people…

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

22% 20%28%

38% 35% 38%

14%11%

14%

15% 14%14%

59% 68%53%

46%45%

46%

5% 2% 5% 2% 6% 2%

Refusal to answer

Forbidden

No clear opinion

Allowed

Hate speech towards LGBT persons in respondents’ environment

In other situations




Internet

Papers

Radio

TV

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

3%

43%

4%

6%

36%

14%

13%

41%

2%

65%

4%

7%

77%

11%

6%

33%

Young people Adults



Stereotype - warmth

Symbolic danger

Real danger

Traditional homophobia

Modern homophobia

Authoritarianism

Verbal aggression



Religiousness


Right-wing views

-0.30 -0.15 0.00 0.15 0.30

Young people Adults

Acceptance for the hate speech towards Muslims: Examples

1. Muslims are stinky cowards, they can only murder women, children and innocent people.

2. All Muslims are not right in the head, no exceptions.3. Attacking people with acid is an old method to get even between Muslims.

Hate speech towards Muslims: to allow or to forbid?

Adults Young people

Adults Young people

Adults Young people

1. Muslims are stinky...

2. All Muslims are … 3. Attacking people with acid…

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

15% 19%11% 15% 14%

21%

11%12%

12% 9% 12%13%

68%68%

71% 75% 65%64%

6% 2% 6% 1%9% 3%

Refusal to answer

Forbidden

No clear opinion

Allowed

Hate speech towards Muslims in respondents’ environment

In other situations


Dmonstration (speaker)


Internet

Papers

Radio

TV

0% 15% 30% 45% 60%

2%

20%

1%

4%

28%

8%

5%

23%

1%

24%

1%

2%

55%

5%

3%

17%

Young people Adults



Stereotype - warmth

Symbolic danger

Real danger

Criticising Islam rationally

Islamophoby

Authoritarianism

Verbal aggression



Religiousness


Right-wing views

-0.30 -0.14 0.02 0.19 0.35

Young peopleAdults

Effects of the hate speech From desensitising to discriminating

Contact with hate speech in environment

Weaker perception of offensiveness of hate speech

Greater declared

acceptance for hate speech

Lower acceptance for

minority groups

Summary

• High level of acceptance for the hate speech towards LGBT persons, Romani people, Jews and Muslims. No acceptance for the hate speech towards black people and Ukrainians

• For young people, acceptance for the hate speech is more strongly related to their right-wing views and hierarchical notions

• Very common contact with the hate speech in environment and on the Internet – in particular among young people

• Contact with the hate speech desensitises and changes attitudes towards minorities

Attitudes towards the hate speech in Poland Results of empirical survey conducted by the Warsaw University Centre for Research on Prejudice and the Stefan.

Documents

typical hate speech

coherent slide

respondents environment

proper survey survey

stefan batory foundation

romani people

black people

survey results