From Insult to Hate Speech: Mapping Offensive Language in German User Comments on Immigration

In recent debates on offensive language in participatory online spaces, the term ‘hate speech’ has become especially prominent. Originating from a legal context, usually refers to violent threats or expressions of prejudice against particular groups basis race, religion, sexual orientation. However, due its explicit reference emotion hate, it is also used more colloquially as general label for any kind negative expression. This ambiguity leads misunderstandings discussions about hate speech and challenges identification. To meet this challenge, article provides modularized framework differentiate various forms language. On framework, we present text annotation study 5,031 user comments topic immigration refuge posted March 2019 three German news sites, four Facebook pages, 13 YouTube channels, one right-wing blog. An in-depth analysis these identifies types targeting immigrants refugees. By exploring typical combinations labeled attributes, empirically map variety subject area ranging insults calls crimes, going beyond common ‘hate/no-hate’ dichotomy found similar studies. The results are discussed with focus grey between