Report: 41% of college students believe ‘hate speech’ should not be protected under the First Amendment

A new report conducted by the Knight Foundation found out that a large number of college students don’t believe “hate speech” should be protected under the First Amendment.

Through a mobile app and web portal, the report surveyed 4,407 full-time college students enrolled in four-year degree programs.

The results found that 58% of students said “hate speech” should continue to be protected under the first amendment. Furthermore, the report found 41% of college students do not think “hate speech” should be protected under the First Amendment.

The report detailed the findings saying, “Most college students agree that hate speech, dened as “attacks [on] people based on their race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation,” ought to be protected by the First Amendment. Nearly six in 10 college students believe such speech should be protected, while 41 percent disagree.

There are substantial divisions by gender on this question. A majority (53 percent) of college women say that hate speech should not be protected by the First Amendment, while 46 percent say it should. In contrast, roughly three-quarters (74 percent) of college men say hate speech should be protected by the First Amendment. Notably, more than two-thirds (69 percent) of college students who identify as gender nonbinary say that hate speech should not be protected by the First Amendment.Twenty-nine percent say that it should be protected.

The views of college students vary signicantly by sexual orientation. Nearly twothirds (64 percent) of heterosexual students say that hate speech should be protected, while only 35 percent of gay and lesbian college students agree. More than six in 10 gay and lesbian students do not believe that hate speech should be protected.

There are also signicant divisions by racial and ethnic background. A majority of white (62 percent) and API (56 percent) students agree that hate speech should be protected by the First Amendment. Hispanic and black students are more divided. Less than half (48 percent) of black college students believe that hate speech should be protected, while a slim majority (51 percent) say it should not. Similarly, about half (52 percent) of Hispanic students say hate speech is a form of expression that should be protected under the First Amendment, while nearly as many (47 percent) disagree.”

The full report can be read by clicking here.