PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF HATE SPEECH AND ITS CONSEQUENCE ON SAFETY OF LIVES IN ANAMBRA STATE OF NIGERIA. A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Résumé

Hate speech covers many forms of expressions which advocate, incite, promote or justify hatred, violence and discrimination against a person or group of persons for a variety of reasons. Hate speech poses grave dangers for the cohesion of society, the protection of human rights and the rule of law. If left unaddressed, it can lead to complete breakdown of law and order. a person or group of persons. For any control measures to be meaningful the perceptions of the community should be sought and incorporated into any remedial programme. Consequently, little or no empirical studies have focused on public perceptions on hate speech and its consequences on safety of lives. public perceptions on hate speech and its consequences on safety of lives in Anambra State of Nigeria. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design which involves in depth interview of 250 adults in two Local Governments Areas in Anambra State. The study revealed that people are informed of what constitutes hate speech in Nigeria. Factors that influences hate speech include: unemployment, frustration and perceived marginalization of a group among others. People perceive hate speech as a way to promote ethnicity and demean people. The consequences of hate speech are: discrimination and violence against It is recommended that massive enlightenment and adequate implementation of hate speech bill as well as effective execution of programmes to reduce tendencies to hate speech should be conducted.