PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS HATE SPEECH

IN BULGARIAIvanka Ivanova

Open Society Institute – Sofia

Method public opinion survey, conducted by OSI – Sofia between 5–16 July 2013 direct structured interviews with 1,155 adult citizens nationally representative sample including

respondents selected through cluster sampling, stratified by region and type of settlement (town/village)

in the framework of a regular (semi-annual) omnibus public opinion survey, which includes different sets of questions

a questionnaire with a set of 23 topic-specific questions.

Definition Hate speech = public statements which express

disapproval, hatred or aggression against ethnic, religious or sexual minorities

Includes disapproval and sexual minorities which are not part of the Bulgarian legal definition

Not all forms of expression, only written and spoken word

Incidence of hate speech 45.6% of the respondents in the last 12 months have

heard hate speech 64% of them – often or very often 32% have heard public statements which could incite

violence against minorities 12% felt grossly insulted by public statements 4% felt personally and physically threatened by public

statements (11% among Roma; 7% among ethnic Turks)

17% heard statements which left them believe that hate crime is normal, justifiable or less condemnable than crime targeted at Bulgarians.

Sofia Above 500 BGN 18-29 yrs. Tertiary ed. Total

66.5 60 56.452.9 45.6

24.1 32.8 33.6

39.144.2

8.2 7 10.124.1

10

Hate speech incidence by demographic groups, %

Yes No Don't know

Roma

Ethnic Turks

Gay people

Jews

Foreigners

Black people

Women

Jehovah's Witnesses

Other

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

91.1

58.4

38

6.5

5.1

4.9

4.4

3.2

2.7

Targets of hate speech

None of the abovePolitician

RomaSkinhead

BusinessmanLawyer

Jehova's witnessGay

DoctorForeigner

JewProtestant

Ethnic Turk

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 4037.5

31.619.8

14.913.9

10.74.9

4.13.8

2.61.71.71.6

Most widespread associations with "criminal"

TV

Shop

s, cafe

terias

Public

transp

ortati

on

Intern

et

Newspa

pers

At work

Pre-el

ection

rallie

sRad

io

74.8

19

18.2

17.6

11.2

10.8

10.2

10.1

77.1

18.1

34.3

31.4

1.9 8.

6

1

20

71.6

17.9

15.4

13.9

13.4

13.4 16.4

7

Media of hate speech

Average Sofia City (regional center)

Politicians

Journalists

Friends and relatives

Coworkers

Others

Businesspeople

Public servants

NGO experts

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 8067.9

32.4

28.5

18.4

12.3

8.9

8.5

4.6

62.9

50.5

22.9

73.1

29.4

30.8

56

27.4

35.7

Users of hate speech

18-29 yrs. City Sofia Total

Very often

Often

Rarely

Very rarely

Never

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

2.7

6.2

18.6

26.8

45.1

Frequency of hate speech use, %

On the internet

In shops, cafeterias

At work

In the immediate family

Among friends

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

4.6

9.7

11.3

59.6

62.1

Context of hate speech use, %

Yes70%

No30%

Do you know that incitement to

hatred is a crime?

YesNo

Yes23%

No56%

Don’tknow22%

Likelihood of re-porting hate crimes

YesNoDon’tknow

Totally approve

Rather approve

Rather disapprove

Totally disapprove

Don't know

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

2

4

35.1

51

7.8

(Dis)approval of hate speech

Yes58%No

24%

Don’tknow18%

Public support for hate speech pre-vention policies

YesNoDon’tknow

Yes66%

No16%

Don’tknow17%

Public support for criminal prosecu-

tionof hate speech

YesNoDon’tknow

Roma

Sofia

Above

60 ye

arsInc

ome

less th

an

240 B

GN Total

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

90.470.2 73.4 66.4

50.664.8 63.2 63.3 57.8

2.7

12.315.2 22.1

26.611.1 17.1 24.6

24

6.8 17.5 10.1 11.4 22.6 24.1 19.4 12.1 18

Support for anti-hate speech policies

Yes No Don't know

THANK YOU!Contacts:

Info@osi.bgwww.osi.bg

www.opendata.bg