Abstract
While many prior studies have applied computational approaches, such as machine learning, to detect and moderate hate speech, only scant attention has been paid to the task of identifying the underlying cause of hate speech. In this study, we introduce the concept of hate instigating speech, which refers to a specific type of textual posts on online platforms that stimulate or provoke others to engage in hate speech. The identification of hate instigating speech carries substantial practical implications for effective hate speech moderation. Rather than targeting individual instances of hate speech, by focusing on their roots, i.e., hate instigating speech, it becomes possible to significantly reduce the volume of content that requires review for moderation. Additionally, targeting hate instigating speech enables early prevention of the spread and propagation of hate speech, further enhancing the effectiveness of moderation efforts. However, several challenges hinder researchers from addressing the identification of hate instigating speech. First, there is a lack of comprehensive datasets specifically annotated for hate instigation, making it difficult to train and evaluate computational models effectively. Second, the subtle and nuanced nature of hate instigating speech (e.g., seemingly non-offensive texts serve as catalysts for triggering hate speech) makes it difficult to apply off-the-shelf machine learning models to the problem. To address these challenges, in this study, we have developed and released a multilingual dataset specifically designed for the task of identifying hate instigating speech. Specifically, it encompasses both English and Korean, allowing for a comprehensive examination of hate instigating speech across different linguistic contexts. We have applied existing machine learning models to our dataset and the results demonstrate that the extant models alone are insufficient for effectively detecting hate instigating speech. This finding highlights the need for further attention from the academic community to address this specific challenge. We expect our study and dataset to inspire researchers to explore innovative methods that can enhance the accuracy of hate instigating speech detection, ultimately contributing to more effective moderation and prevention of hate speech propagation online.