Out of polling almost 1,500 Americans, nearly one in five young adults (20%) believe physical violence can sometimes be justified to stop someone from engaging in “harmful” public speech, according to a new national survey released by Florida State University’s Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC).
Key Findings:
20% of young adults (ages 18-29) say violence can sometimes be justified to stop “harmful” speech – nearly double the rate of all adults (11%)
59% of Americans believe some speech can be as damaging as physical violence
Americans are nearly evenly divided on whether free speech should yield to social harmony and “inclusion:” 43% disagree, 37% agree
Those who equate speech with violence are significantly more likely to support restrictions on expression – even if they personally oppose using force
“These findings reveal a troubling erosion of free speech principles, particularly among Americans who will shape our civic culture for decades to come,” said Ryan Owens, director of the Institute for Governance and Civics.
Owens says wWhen one in five young adults believes violence can be justified to silence speech, we’re not just seeing a failure of civic education, we’re witnessing a fundamental threat to self-governance.
The report arrives as debates over campus speech, political violence, and the boundaries of acceptable speech intensify nationwide.”The generational gap is particularly concerning,” added Zach Goldberg, co-author. “Young adults are not only more likely to see speech as equivalent to violence, but they’re also more willing to use force to prevent it. This represents a significant departure from traditional American norms around free speech and political tolerance.
