theme of the year
Weißer Ring: Moral courage also important in the case of hate on the Internet
According to the «White Ring», civil courage is increasingly in demand not only in real life, but also online. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Bullying, stalking, threats and hatred have long played a serious role on the Internet. This is not only an issue for the police, but also for uninvolved observers.
Supporting victims and intervening through civil courage is not only important in the case of acts of violence on the street, but also in the case of aggression, hatred and hate speech on the Internet.
There is a clear brutalization not only in real life, but also on the Internet, where people are insulted and threatened, said the managing director of the victim support organization Weißer Ring, Bianca Biwer, on the day of crime victims this Tuesday.
Other people would have to position themselves in both areas. “Civil courage” was therefore chosen by the White Ring as the theme of the year. “As a society, we cannot afford to simply look the other way. That changes society and endangers democracy.”
“It is important that you support those affected,” said Biwer. This principle also applies to the Internet. “Don’t watch when people are the focus of attention on social media.” Agitators on the Internet should receive written counter-arguments and objections from others. “Then they no longer feel like a majority vote. It has been proven that it often silences them.” If nobody intervened, they felt more legitimate.
“But you should also take care of the victim,” said Biwer. “It’s bad for those affected in the digital as well as in the real world when they experience that the viewers remain silent.”