Identifying Hate Speech and Attribution of Responsibility: An Analysis of Simulated WhatsApp Conversations during the Pandemic

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, public confrontations between people who had agreed to be vaccinated and those who had not, highlighted the relevance of the deepening dissemination of violent and discriminatory expressions and determined a level of perception of hate discourses. Method: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out, based on an innovative methodology: simulations of WhatsApp conversations. In addition, the following variables were considered among others: level of empathy, personality traits and conflict resolution. Results: The participants were 567 nursing students (413 females, 153 males and 1 person who did not identify with any gender). The results showed that, for the most part, the participants correctly identified hate speech, but were unable to discern the frame of reference. Conclusions: It is necessary to implement intervention strategies to minimize the impact of hate speech, which continues to be used on many levels to harass others, justify violence or undermine rights, generating an environment of prejudice and intolerance that encourages discrimination and violent attacks against certain individuals or collectives.