Confronting Hate with Empathy for those Affected

Empathetic counterspeech has an effect

A research team led by Dominik Hangartner, Professor of Public Policy at ETH Zurich, investigated which kinds of messages are most likely to persuade authors of hate speech to refrain from posting hateful content in the future. In an initial 2021 study, various counterspeech strategies were tested experimentally, and their effectiveness was evaluated based on the reactions of 1,350 Twitter users who had posted hateful messages.

The results are clear: Only responses that appeal to empathy for the people targeted by hate speech — for example, “Your post is very painful for Jewish people” or “Statements like this are hurtful to migrants” — were able to motivate hate-speech authors to change their behavior.

By contrast, humorous reactions and warnings about possible consequences (e.g., that family or colleagues might see the posts) had no significant effect.

“We certainly haven’t found a cure-all for hate speech on the internet, but we have identified important clues about which strategies can work and which cannot,” says study leader Dominik Hangartner.

Follow-up study shows: counterspeech also influences the behavior of bystanders

A follow-up study published in Nature Scientific Reports in 2025 not only confirms the original effects on hate-speech authors, but also shows for the first time that counterspeech influences the behavior of so-called “bystanders” — users who merely read hate speech without posting it themselves.

The researchers observed the behavior of people who were randomly exposed to counterspeech that was directed at someone else. The key finding: these bystanders also reacted measurably differently — they were less likely to “like” hate comments, which reduced the reach of those comments. Counterspeech that encouraged readers to put themselves in the shoes of the targeted group was particularly effective. Messages that reminded the sender of their own negative experiences — for example, of having been insulted in the past — helped them draw parallels to the feelings of the targeted group.

The authors write:

“Our results show that effective counterspeech not only influences those directly addressed, but can also reduce the support for — and therefore the spread of — hateful messages among bystanders.”

For the national “Stop Hate Speech” project of the Public Discourse Foundation, which collaborates with ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich on questions related to hate speech, these findings are important. “Counterspeech that promotes a shift in perspective is the most effective way to combat hate speech and its further spread. This insight is central to our project aimed at reducing online hate,” says Sophie Achermann, Executive Director of the Public Discourse Foundation. “Governments, NGOs, and media organizations can also build on this to respond appropriately to a global problem that harms public discourse and democracy.”

Led by the Public Discourse Foundation, the “Stop Hate Speech” project is pioneering in its approach, bringing together technology, civil society, and academia to jointly tackle online hate.

Study references:
Hangartner, Dominik et al. (2021). Empathy-based Counterspeech Can Reduce Racist Hate Speech in a Social Media Field Experiment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(50): e2116310118.

Gennaro, Gloria et al. (2025). Counterspeech encouraging users to adopt the perspective of minority groups reduces hate speech and its amplification on social media. Scientific Reports 15, 22018.