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Defending Others Online: The Influence of Observing Formal and Informal Social Control on One’s Willingness to Defend Cyberhate Victims

Author

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  • Matthew Costello

    (Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA)

  • James Hawdon

    (Center for Peace Studies and Violence Studies, Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA)

  • Ashley V. Reichelmann

    (Center for Peace Studies and Violence Studies, Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA)

  • Atte Oksanen

    (Faulty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33100 Tampere, Finland)

  • Catherine Blaya

    (URMIS, Department of Education Sciences, Université Côte d’Azur, 06103 Nice, France)

  • Vicente J. Llorent

    (Department de Educación, University of Cordoba, 14001 Cordoba, Spain)

  • Pekka Räsänen

    (School of Economics, University of Turku, 20100 Turku, Finland)

  • Izabela Zych

    (Department de Educación, University of Cordoba, 14001 Cordoba, Spain)

Abstract

This paper examines factors correlated with online self-help—an informal form of social control vis-à-vis intervention—upon witnessing a cyberhate attack. Using online surveys from 18- to 26-year-old respondents in the United States, we explore the roles of various types of online and offline formal and informal social control mechanisms on the enactment of self-help through the use of descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression. The results of the multivariate analyses indicate that online collective efficacy is positively related to self-help, as is having close ties to individuals and groups offline and online. Formal online social control, however, is not significantly related to engaging in self-help. Other findings demonstrate that personal encounters with cyberhate affect the likelihood that an individual will intervene when witnessing an attack, and that individuals with high levels of empathy are more likely to intervene to assist others. This work indicates that pro-social online behavior is contagious and can potentially foster online spaces in which harmful behaviors, such as propagating cyberhate, are not condoned.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew Costello & James Hawdon & Ashley V. Reichelmann & Atte Oksanen & Catherine Blaya & Vicente J. Llorent & Pekka Räsänen & Izabela Zych, 2023. "Defending Others Online: The Influence of Observing Formal and Informal Social Control on One’s Willingness to Defend Cyberhate Victims," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(15), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:15:p:6506-:d:1209165
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steven Windisch & Susann Wiedlitzka & Ajima Olaghere, 2021. "PROTOCOL: Online interventions for reducing hate speech and cyberhate: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(1), March.
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    1. Steven Windisch & Susann Wiedlitzka & Ajima Olaghere & Elizabeth Jenaway, 2022. "Online interventions for reducing hate speech and cyberhate: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 18(2), June.

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