Online Hate and Harmful Content Cross-National Perspectives

Over the past few decades, various types of hate material have caused increasing concern. Today, the scope of hate is wider than ever, as easy and often-anonymous access to an enormous amount of online content has opened the Internet up to both use and abuse. By providing possibilities for inexpensive and instantaneous access without ties to geographic location or a user identification system, the Internet has permitted hate groups and individuals espousing hate to transmit their ideas to a worldwide audience. Online Hate and Harmful Content focuses on the role of potentially harmful online content, particularly among young people. This focus is explored through two approaches: firstly, the commonality of online hate through cross-national survey statistics. This includes a discussion of the various implications of online hate for young people in terms of, for example, subjective wellbeing, trust, self-image and social relationships. Secondly, the book examines theoretical frameworks from the fields of sociology, social psychology and criminology that are useful for understanding online behaviour and online victimisation. Limitations of past theory are assessed and complemented with a novel theoretical model linking past work to the online environment as it exists today. An important and timely volume in this ever-changing digital age, this book is suitable for graduates and undergraduates interested in the fields of Internet and new media studies, social psychology and criminology. The analyses and findings of the book are also particularly relevant to practitioners and policy-makers working in the areas of Internet regulation, crime prevention, child protection and social work/youth work.

1. Evolving social media 2. Social media and identity 3. Lifestyle and online risks 4. The rise of online hate 5. Impacts of online hate 6. Harm-advocating content online 7. Social spheres of online hate 8. Transformation of social networks and interactions

Pekka Räsänen, Dr. Soc.Sc., is Professor of Economic Sociology at the University of Turku, Finland. He has published widely on research methods, mass violence, culture, and consumer behavior. His current research focuses on the social disparities associated with the new information and communication technologies.Atte Oksanen, Dr. Soc. Sci., is professor of social psychology at the University of Tampere, Finland. His research focuses on emerging technologies and social interaction. He has published in a variety of areas including youth studies, drug and alcohol research and criminology.Teo Keipi, Dr. Soc. Sc. Is a post-doctoral researcher of Economic Sociology at the University of Turku, Finland. His current research focuses on online hate content production and exposure. He has published on issues of identity dynamics, victimization, deviance and structural mechanisms of the online setting. Matti Näsi (Dr. Soc. Sc.) is a Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy at University of Helsinki, Finland. His research focuses on the impacts of information and communication technologies on society and social life, with current emphasis on implications concerning harmful online content.