HATE SPEECH

Abstract

Enabling people to share their thoughts and actions, World Wide Web (WWW) has created a repository of knowledge and culture. In this sense, differences between humans have been destroyed and everyone in front of the screen has found an opportunity to display themselves as an individual only. The hate speech spreading because of the internet dates back to old times both in Turkey and in the world. A person is brought up in a certain environment with certain rules as of the moment he is born. Later, thoughts and actions that are inappropriate with his own thoughts are transformed into speech most of the time without even realizing it. A speech should include an ideology in order to be considered as a hate speech. These ideologies are transmitted by speeches that are far from peace, aiming an identity or a nation or consisting of all of these. Hate speeches especially increase when a person achieves superiority on the other, a party on another or a country on the other. If hate speeches turn into action, they are punished legally as hate crimes. This study provides a general outlook for the definition, formation and elements of hate speech.