An in-depth study on Hate Speech was published in Tirana today, the result of cooperation between the Commissioner against Discrimination, the European Union, and the Council of Europe.
According to the study, nearly 60 percent of respondents think that hate speech massively prevails in Albania, as VOA writes.
Even in the most vulnerable groups to discrimination, nine out of ten respondents think that hate speech is very widespread.
The study published today is based on the reactions of over 1 thousand and 800 respondents and provides data at the national level on the situation of hate speech, perceptions, experiences, and trust in institutions that should deal with hate speech. According to the study, about 96 percent know hate speech.
Most of them, about 70 percent, claimed that the most common television programs that most often spread hate speech are the political debates and then comes the TV shows.
More than half of respondents think that the most common motives that provoke hate speech are poverty, social status, political opinion, and physical appearance.
Women are the ones who think that hate speech is driven more by physical appearance, while men think that hate speech is driven more by political opinion.
Nearly half of respondents think that ethnicity and race are the two main motives that incite hate speech.
The results of the study show that the LGBT community widely believes that phobia towards them is the most common motive that incites hate speech.
Another form of hate speech is seen in the study as tarnishing one's reputation, followed by incitement to hatred and ethnic insults or insults.
Ethnic insults, incitement to hatred, and jokes about ethnic minorities are widely perceived in almost 70 percent as forms of hate speech.
"Hate speech is mostly used on social media, schools, universities, and workplaces. More than half of the respondents claim to have reacted with actions when they witnessed hate speech against someone else. The Alliance against Hate has a lot of work to do in Albania." - says Robert Gajda, Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination.
Nearly 60% of respondents from groups in need have personally experienced hate speech and have also heard of others who have experienced it.
So, groups in need are more active to take action if they are witnessing a situation with hate speech compared to the general population.
"An alliance against hate speech has been set up and is working in two directions: anti-discrimination and freedom of expression. The work started with the removal of hate speech from the election campaign and is now continuing with the avoidance of social networks and daily life,"- says Jutta Gutzkow, head of the Council of Europe Office in Albania.
Respondents from the youth ranks experience hate speech online compared to older respondents.
The study shows that only 20 percent have never been exposed to hate speech online.
Nearly 30 percent of citizens have experienced it several times and another 32 percent stated that they have experienced it often.
This category is high enough in the LGBT group that half of them say they have been exposed to hate speech online.
"It is the responsibility of all of us to fight hate speech because we live in a democratic society with civic responsibility for everyone. The Alliance against Hate Speech is doing a good job in terms of media activity, politics, parliament. Hate speech exists everywhere in Europe, not only in Albania, but Tirana must do its part, in the face of disturbing indicators brought by the study,"- says Lenka Vitkova, representative of the Delegation of the European Union.
More than half of the victims of hate speech mostly see family and friends as the main means to seek help, and then go to the doctor, psychologist, and police, civil society associations.
Nearly 70 percent of people targeted by hate speech suffer from anxiety and depression, loss of self-esteem.