KWDI Korean Women’s Development Institute

2018 KWDI Abstract

 

Measures to regulate sexist hate speech

 

Sooyeon Lee

Jiso Yoon

Hyekyung Chang

Sooah Kim

 

In this paper, we aim to provide a definition of sexist hate speech, and examine the current state of sexist hate speech in South Korea by gathering empirical evidence of sexist hate speech online and cases of women’s experiences suffering from being exposed to sexist hate speech. In addition, we investigate international cases of sexist hate speech regulation. Finally, we propose measures to institutionally regulate sexist hate speech in South Korea.

 

Sexist hate speech can be defined as expressions of disparagement, sexual objectification, and subjugation toward women with a threat or actual incitement of violence. Sexist hate speech is grounded in sexist ideology and attempts to perpetuate the inferior position of women and subject them to the dominance of men. Sexist hate speech reveals men’s anger accrued from women’s failure to meet their traditional expectations of women based on gender stereotypes. Sexist hate speech as an extreme form of sexism seems to be related to the obsessive attachment to gender stereotypes. Sexist hate speech commonly targets women who betray stereotypes by working in realms assigned to men.

 

The paper finds that exposure to sexist hate speech leads to both short- and long-term effects. We note distinct patterns of reactions to sexist hate speech in our online community search and in-depth interviews. The in-depth interviews with female college students show that women often do not know how to respond to sexist hate speech. On the other hand, most frequent responses to hate speech are the feelings of anger, annoyance and tiredness. Sometimes, they end up avoiding online participation and even passively limit or abandon social activities as a result. At the same time, regardless of whether one reacts passively or aggressively to sexist hate speech, exposure to it eventually leads many victims to become more aware of sexist hate speech or build a tolerance toward it. Victims of sexist hate speech eventually overcome their trauma and move on with their lives and some victims of sexist hate speech overcome their trauma by mimicking and repeating violence against others.

 

We also noticed several long-term changes, such as lasting trauma and fear caused by their exposure to sexist hate speech. Also, experiences with sexist hate speech lead many victims to withdraw themselves from involvement in social activities that might lead to further exposure to sexist hate speech. Furthermore, exposure to sexist hate speech in everyday life erodes both interpersonal and generalized trust. Some women feel devastated after hearing sexist hate speech from family members, whereas others eventually become distrustful of a partner with whom they have a close relationship, as well as men in general. In other words, sexist hate speech is preventing women from building solid relationships and trust with family members, friends, and partners. In general, the Korean case confirms that the findings of previous research on the consequences of other forms of hate speech apply similarly to the case of “sexist” hate speech.

 

If we wish to eliminate inequality, conflict, and even murders between genders and therefore maximize the efficiency that comes from gender diversity, it is an urgent matter to begin regulating sexist hate speech. To regulate sexist hate speech, we propose to legislate either anti-hate speech act or anti-discrimination act with a specific clause to ban hate speech based on gender or revise existing penal codes of defamation so as to include hatred against groups as well as individuals. Of course, punishment of hate speech should be restricted to the hate speech with the purpose of incitement of violence.