This article will be published in PD Magazine: CyberDiplomacy, launching December 2019. Subscribe here to receive email updates on the publication release.

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Actions that are taken in the non-physical realm of cyberspace can have serious and deadly consequences in the physical world. The Christchurch Mosque Shooting, El Paso Shooting and the Pittsburg Synagogue Shooting are just a few examples of tragedies that utilized the power of digital global communication for nefarious purposes. How can we stop this from happening again?

by Christina Chilin

As of August 2019, 43% of the US population reported living in a gun household. [1] Because of growing gun violence, gun control is now frequently and fiercely debated in the news media. However, we must not neglect to address another important part of the mass shooting equation: social media.

The perpetrators of mass shootings and targeted violence incidents often use social media platforms to proliferate their hatred of specific individuals or groups. In return, they can receive encouragement from these online communities to execute their violent plans. This is why it is necessary to combat these malicious actors at the source.

A New Report Card

For the past 25 years, the Simon Wiesenthal Center based in The Museum of Tolerance (MOT), Los Angeles, has released a yearly report assessing the digital health of web platforms with respect to the proliferation of hate and terrorism.

In this year’s 2019 Digital Terrorism and Hate Report Card, the Wiesenthal Center tracked the continued emergence of Alt.Tech, a term used to describe a new generation of social media platforms that serve the agendas of Alt-Right groups. The Report Card also assessed the emergence of bigotry, anti-Semitism, and the glorification of radical Islamic terror on popular gaming platforms. [2]

Combat Hate: Promoting Digital Health for Students

To address the concerns raised by the 2019 Digital Terrorism and Hate Report Card, MOT kickstarted a program targeting those who that are most vulnerable to online radicalization and hate: youth.

MOT, which functions as a human rights laboratory and the educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is a trusted educational resource that works primarily with students in Los Angeles. MOT’s vision is to promote a culture of accountability that challenges people of all backgrounds to confront their most closely held assumptions in order to prevent the proliferation of hatred.

This led to the creation of the Combat Hate program. The Combat Hate program is a digital empowerment workshop targeting middle and high school students. It is designed to equip students to counter the perils of hate, prejudice, stereotyping and extremism in online social networking. The workshop is designed to take a whole community approach to tackling the potential threats young people encounter online, from extremists to extremist ideology.

Students are encouraged to think about:

Who makes hateful posts online
What is the intent behind hateful messaging
Why do people post/share hateful content
How to get help regarding suspicious online activity
When is the right time to intervene in malicious online activity

MOT workshop facilitators pay visits to schools in Los Angeles and run hour-long workshops that foster much-needed dialogue among students, many of whom have seen or experienced cyber-attacks (most often in the form of cyber bullying and stereotyping). As a facilitator of the program, I was alarmed by how quickly young people can be exposed to extremist ideology. With just a few clicks, a young person could be connected to an extremist within minutes.

The urgent need for such educational programming earned Combat Hate a California Office of Emergency Services (CALOES) grant designed to give NGOs the opportunity to pilot new Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE) programs. This grant is an example of a growing joint-commitment by both the private and public sectors to address critical cyber threats. Efforts to integrate law enforcement officers into Combat Hate’s programming as workshop facilitators are now also underway.

MOT’s vision is to establish better repertoire between students and law enforcement since the police force is ultimately responsible for intercepting the physical consequences of online hate. With local and state governments working together with community partners like MOT, Combat Hate is a prime example of the kinds of collaboration needed to address national challenges.

With local and state governments working together with community partners like MOT, Combat Hate is a prime example of the kinds of collaboration needed to address national challenges.

There is potential for this program to be replicated in cities beyond Los Angeles since its flexible structure allows for its evolution and modification for a broad range of audiences. Rick Eaton, senior researcher at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, hopes to see the program expand to other communities that are interested in PVE education for their students. With MOT offices in Chicago and New York, that vision is already on the horizon.

Educators as ‘Digital Doctors’

As we move towards a future of advanced technological use, our education and law enforcement efforts must evolve with it. It is important to note that as we begin to prioritize preventing violent extremism as opposed to merely combatting it, the best agents of digital health are educators. Well-trained educators can teach the next generation about a cyber world that has the potential for both negative and positive impact. In order to promote the latter, educators can guide students towards empathy, media literacy, and digital empowerment.

Just as children are taught to look both ways before crossing a street, educators should see themselves as ‘digital doctors’ who can teach young people to pay close attention to the who, what, when, how and whys of social media messaging. The Combat Hate program at the Museum of Tolerance is a step in the right direction and has the potential to foster a generation of positive and healthy digital citizens.

For more information regarding the Combat Hate program, contact: youthed@museumoftolerance.com

Endnotes

[1] The full Gallup report can be accessed here.

[2] More information on the 2019 Digital Terrorism and Hate Report Card findings regarding new online platforms can be found here.

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About the Author

Christina Chilin is a Master of Public Diplomacy candidate at the University of Southern California and the current president of the USC Society of Public Diplomats. Before beginning her graduate studies, she worked as a Designated School Official for the Office of International Students and Scholars at University of California, Santa Barbara. In July 2019 she directed a cultural diplomacy program in Mexico that utilized cultural heritage as a gateway for professional collaboration. She is a trained facilitator for the Combat Hate program at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California. Her current research interests are diaspora diplomacy and indigenous diplomacy.