philosophy for children as an educational tool to prevent and combat hate speech

This contribution will focus on a research intervention, within a doctoral project carried out at the University of Naples Federico II, conducted in Italy on countering stereotypes and prejudices -which are at the basis of hate speech- in a secondary school with children aged between 12 and 13. Young people are particularly exposed to the consequences and risks of hate speech both because they lack experience and cultural and cognitive tools (Waltman & Mattheis, 2017; Meddaugh & Kay, 2009) and because they are always connected to the web through different devices. (Save the Children, 2023; Rothwell, 2023). In order to counter hate speech, most reference literature suggests educational interventions based on critical reflection and the de-construction of stereotypes starting from younger age groups (Waltman, 2003; 2018; Cohen-Almagor, 2014; Ziccardi, 2016; Commissione Jo Cox, 2017; Meddaugh & Kay, 2009). However, education based purely on critical reflection may not be sufficient when it comes to fully understanding the suffering and damage caused to people by the language of hatred. It should be accompanied by an education in caring thinking, which enhances the ability to think compassionately and to look at the world from other perspectives, building the ability to make value judgements (Sharp, 2005). The hypothesis of the research presented in this contribution is that Philosophy for Children (P4C) can be a valuable device to help children reflect on and deconstruct the stereotypes and prejudices that form the foundation of hate speech.