Matthew Costello

Who views online extremism? Individual attributes leading to exposure

Who is likely to view materials online maligning groups based on race, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, political views, immigration status, or religion? We use an online survey (Nź=ź1034) of youth and young adults recruited from a demographically balanced sample of Americans to address this question. By studying demographic characteristics and online habits of individuals who are exposed to online extremist groups and their messaging, this study serves as a precursor to a larger research endeavor examining the online contexts of extremism.Descriptive results indicate that a sizable majority of respondents were exposed to negative materials online. The materials were most commonly used to stereotype groups. Nearly half of negative material centered on race or ethnicity, and respondents were likely to encounter such material on social media sites. Regression results demonstrate African-Americans and foreign-born respondents were significantly less likely to be exposed to negative material online, as are younger respondents. Additionally, individuals expressing greater levels of trust in the federal government report significantly less exposure to such materials. Higher levels of education result in increased exposure to negative materials, as does a proclivity towards risk-taking. Demographics and Internet habits affect exposure to hate material online.Distrust in the government is associated with exposure to hate material online.People who have been targets of hate are more likely to be exposed to online hate.Hours per day spent online affects the likelihood of being exposed to online hate.

Confronting Online Extremism: The Effect of Self-Help, Collective Efficacy, and Guardianship on Being a Target for Hate Speech

Who is likely to be a target of online hate and extremism? To answer this question, we use an online survey (N = 963) of youth and young adults recruited from a demographically balanced sample of Americans. Adapting routine activity theory, we distinguish between actor-initiated social control (i.e., self-help), other-initiated social control (i.e., collective efficacy), and guardianship and show how self-help is positively related to the likelihood of being targeted by hate. Our findings highlight how online exposure to hate materials, target suitability, and enacting social control online all influence being the target of hate. Using social networking sites and encountering hate material online have a particularly strong relationship with being targeted with victim suitability (e.g., discussing private matters online, participating in hate online) and confronting hate also influencing the likelihood of being the target of hate speech.

International Rentierism in the Middle East Africa, 1971–2008:

What is the trend in rentierism in the Middle East and North Africa? Defining a rentier state as one that extracts a significant share of its revenues from rents extracted from international transactions, we examine a range of such transactions that together constitute a third or more of the Middle East/North Africa economies. Outlining a rentierism index that is based on the share of GDP stemming from oil/mineral exports, foreign military and economic aid, worker remittances, and international tourism, we show that rentierism is growing and that 18 of the 22 Middle East/North Africa states depend for over a third of their GDP on these international transactions. Some depend on direct rents stemming from oil/mineral exports and foreign aid, while others rely increasingly on indirect rents from remittances and tourism. This split between direct and indirect rents has implications for the political stability of these states, because it creates states that are more or less able to maintain control in the face of popular resistance and insurgency.

Predictors of Viewing Online Extremism Among America’s Youth:

Exposure to hate material is related to a host of negative outcomes. Young people might be especially vulnerable to the deleterious effects of such exposure. With that in mind, this article examines factors associated with the frequency that youth and young adults, ages 15 to 24, see material online that expresses negative views toward a social group. We use an online survey of individuals recruited from a demographically balanced sample of Americans for this project. Our analysis controls for variables that approximate online routines, social, political, and economic grievances, and sociodemographic traits. Findings show that spending more time online, using particular social media sites, interacting with close friends online, and espousing political views online all correlate with increased exposure to online hate. Harboring political grievances is likewise associated with seeing hate material online frequently. Finally, Whites are more likely than other race/ethnic groups to be exposed to online hate frequently.

We don’t like your type around here: Regional and residential differences in exposure to online hate material targeting sexuality

ABSTRACT What factors are related to online targeting of hate material based to sexual orientation? This study addresses that question, utilizing a sample of 968 Internet users aged 15–36. Employing a logistic regression analysis, we find that social network usage, online antagonism, informal online social control, and a lack of online anonymity increase the likelihood of being targeted. Moreover, individuals living in the southern region of the United States are nearly three times as likely to be targeted by hate related to sexual orientation, whereas those living in rural areas are more than twice as likely to face such targeting.

Conflict Management Styles and Cybervictimization: Extending Routine Activity Theory

ABSTRACT Do online conflict management styles affect the likelihood of cybervictimization? To answer this question, we use an online survey of youth and young adults recruited from a demographically balanced sample of Americans. Using an extended version of routine activity theory, we examine how two conflict resolution styles—self-help and toleration—affect the target suitability of online users and, in turn, their likelihood of being the victim of cybercrime. Our findings demonstrate that individuals who adopt the confrontational conflict resolution style of self-help upon witnessing hostile behavior online are at an increased risk of being victimized. However, tolerating online conflict does not significantly influence the likelihood of victimization, net of other online behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics.