Perceived societal fear and cyberhate after the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks

Fear is one of the negative outcomes of terrorist attacks. Currently, there is a need to understand how societal fear and fear of terrorism might be shaped and induced by social-media discussions. This study analyzed how exposure to cyberhate was associated with perceived societal fear after the Nov...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Oksanen, Atte (Author)
Contributors: Kaakinen, Markus ; Minkkinen, Jaana ; Räsänen, Pekka ; Enjolras, Bernard ; Steen-Johnsen, Kari
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2020
In: Terrorism and political violence
Year: 2020, Volume: 32, Issue: 5, Pages: 1047-1066
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Keywords:
Comparative Study
Fear
Hate
Internet
Social Media
Terrorism
Description
Summary:Fear is one of the negative outcomes of terrorist attacks. Currently, there is a need to understand how societal fear and fear of terrorism might be shaped and induced by social-media discussions. This study analyzed how exposure to cyberhate was associated with perceived societal fear after the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. Demographically balanced data sets were collected from France, Spain, Finland, Norway, and the United States four weeks after the attacks. Cyberhate exposure was associated with higher perceived societal fear in all countries studied even when adjusting for confounding factors. This was particularly evident in the case of cyberhate related to terrorism. Hateful online communication after disruptive events may contribute to a social climate of fear and escalate societal uncertainty. There are, however, indications that social trust may bolster against perceived societal fear, hence enhancing resilience.
Item Description:Gesehen am 23.01.2023
Published online: 09 Apr 2018
ISSN:1556-1836
DOI:10.1080/09546553.2018.1442329