Masterarbeit im Studiengang Internationale Studien / Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (ISFK) von Helen Bader: Towards Youth-Sensitivity and Restorative Justice Approaches in Hate Speech Reporting Systems: An Inclusive Focus Group Study with German Adolescents

Youth are particularly vulnerable to encountering hateful content online, which can significantly harm their well-being. Although most social media platforms offer reporting mechanisms, these systems often have shortcomings, such as an one-size-fits-all approach and a lack of adequate social support options. In some countries, serious cases of hate speech can also be reported to law enforcement or specialized reporting centers. However, in Germany, many young people choose not to report such content. While previous research in HCI has explored adults‘ views on platform-based reporting, there is limited focus on the perspectives of youth and their awareness of platform-independent alternatives. This thesis addresses this gap by conducting an empirical investigation through a qualitative content analysis of eight focus group interviews with German adolescents and young adults (n=47). The objective of this investigation is to ascertain how youth-sensitive reporting systems for hateful content should be designed. It examines the barriers young people face when reporting hate speech, revealing that they are often discouraged by poor rule enforcement and lack of feedback on platforms, while platform-independent options are largely unfamiliar and viewed as inconvenient. The results also outlines key design requirements and preferred reporting channels for platform-independent reporting tools, and provides heuristics for creating inclusive, youth-sensitive reporting systems. This thesis contributes to research in HCI by presenting insights into the reporting barriers of adolescents and socially underrepresented groups (1), identifying requirements to reporting hateful content platform-independently (2), and uncovering reservations, particularly towards law enforcement (3). It further proposes high-level heuristics for youth-sensitive, user-centered reporting technology (4) and highlights cross-sector implications for improving the services of reporting centers in Germany (5).

Betreuer: Julian Bäumler, M.A.
Prüfer: Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Reuter, Prof. Dr. Julian Junk