Being a target to threats and hate speech can have many negative consequences on and off online. Hate speech is destructive to victims and society. All hate speech is problematic in so far as it targets individuals and has real consequences for them. Various studies have shown that the harms caused by hate speech can take diverse forms: for instance, you can have psychological harm which affects peoples' self-confidence and self-esteem and perhaps their ability to function in society. The reason hate speech is dangerous is because words have power and can influence others to act. Words not have to incite violence explicitly to cause violence. Hate speech promotes division and intolerance; it harms the vulnerable groups it targets. Hate speech
