FORMS OF EXTREMISM AND VIOLENCE AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO HATE SPEECH IN THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

The aim of the present review is to explore the forms of extremism and violence in the virtual environment that have developed in recent years and have now grown into an issue of preeminent seriousness for scholars, policymakers, and society at large. The focus of this review article is to synthesise the findings of a number of studies on the existence, prevalence, and use of hate speech as a strategic constitutive element of extremist groups when exploring the best strategies for mitigation. The review emphasises how the digital domain allows for the dissemination and culturing of extremist thoughts by drawing upon real-life instances across different continents under diverse political circumstances. For the review article, a total of 17200 studies were chosen, and after the final screening, 14 studies were chosen as appropriate for the review. These studies were selected from Web of Science and Google Scholar with in the time frame of 2018-2024. On account of the dehumanisation of others, hate speech is said to be central to this process in terms of in-group bonding and calls for violence. The need for broad, multilayered counter-extremism policies covering regulatory interventions, advanced technological interventions, community-based programs, and global cooperation is therefore underlined. Moreover, the review highlights the driving force behind this extremist content and the effect it had on the individuals affected by or exposed to such content. The findings revealed that over time counter violent extremism content strategies have been developed by various countries.