Aims
This interdisciplinary group aims to study and propose policy interventions to the complexity of the phenomena of hate speech in digital environments. It approaches the problem from a multidisciplinary approach. Hate speech appears increasingly challenging for digital platform users, society, organisations and the state. It calls for conceptual clarity, identification of the problem(s) and its social, legal and political roots, its communication in different forms, measurement, typology and remedies. The primary purpose of the group is address the problem in the context of Cyprus and Europe and offer an open platform for discussion on policies and ideas related to hate rhetorics
Members
- Costas Christodoulides, PhD ORCID: 0000-0003-1261-7668
- Leandros Savvides, ORCID: 0000-0002-4155-1453
- Pavlos Evangelides, ORCID: 0000-0002-1845-1868
- Amanda Dingli, ORCID: 0009-0008-1891-4958
- Giorgos Nicou, ORCID: 0009-0003-3476-8712
- Anthony Chabarekh, PhD ORCID: 0000-0001-8975-9977
Publication and Conference Participation
- 2nd International Scientific Conference „The multidimensionality of cybersecurity. Hate speech in cyberworld” HELENA CHODKOWSKA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS, 7–9 April 2025 (https://www.uth.edu.pl/files/uth/konferencje%20zal/cybersecurity%202025/update/UTH_Cybersecurity_2025_Programme_EN.pdf )
- Edited Volume: The Multidimensionality of Cybersecurity. Hate Speech in the Cyberworld (Eds. Katarzyna Huczek & Justyna Żylińska, Wydawnictwo UTH im. Heleny Chodkowskiej, ISBN 978-83-68477-07-8, 2025; https://ora.uniurb.it/retrieve/ab38b848-f638-404f-b6c5-b4cd1f087f88/MULTIDIMENSIONALITY_OF_CYBERSECURITY_interaktywny_OK%2012.01.13-1-47%20R.%20TRAVAGLINI.pdf )
This study investigates the prevalence of online hate speech among Higher Education students in Cyprus and was presented at the 2nd International Scientific Conference “Multidimensionality of Cybersecurity – Hate Speech in the Cyberworld”, held in Warsaw on April 7–9, 2025. Using data from 178 students (Cypriot and international), the research shows that 38.5% were exposed during the past 12 months to hateful or degrading online content targeting individuals or groups, while 13.5% reported producing or sharing material that could be interpreted as hateful. Incidents were mainly observed on social media (58.5%), followed by random web pages (21.5%), online news outlets (12.8%), and online gaming environments (6%). The sample was predominantly male (70%), and participants primarily identified as White (43%) or Asian (40%).