After months of online attacks, Aleksandra* from Montenegro started self-censorship. She withdrew from advocating for her community and even her own rights. Every post, every comment, every debate had become a battlefield, and the cost of speaking out had grown unbearable.

This is one of the silent consequences of hate speech– people disappear from the public space, and it is questionable how much strength they have left even in their private lives.

Her story is one of many captured in a recently presented “Mapping hate speech report” in Montenegro. Supported by the action “Combating hatred and intolerance in Montenegro” under the European Union and the Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkiye”, and in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), the research goes beyond counting incidents to explore how hate speech affects/harms people’s daily lives.

The report shows that hate speech is increasingly normalised, particularly online and in political debates. Offensive words are often disguised as humour, critique, or freedom of speech. This is not a one-time problem but a repeated pattern linked to political polarisation, disrespectful dialogue, and weak institutional responses.

Nevenka Vuksanović, Executive Director of CEDEM, says the patterns uncovered in the study are worrying, but the human stories behind them are even more striking.

“The research shows that hate speech is not random,” she explains. “It is connected to political divisions, poor dialogue culture, media narratives that sometimes amplify it, and the lack of consistent institutional reaction,” Vuksanović noted.

The report highlights the particular risks for young people and vulnerable groups. Exposure to repeated online hate teaches harmful ways of communicating and can lower empathy across society. For vulnerable groups, this means constant pressure and the sense that they are unwelcome and insufficiently protected.

Vuksanović points out that many people choose not to report incidents. Fear of further attacks or additional stigma, combined with low trust in institutions, keeps victims silent. This silence reinforces the idea that hate speech goes unpunished and that it is part of everyday life.

“Education is undoubtedly the most underestimated, yet the most important tool in this fight,” she says. Without systematic approaches to critical thinking, media literacy, and understanding diversity, changing narratives is extremely difficult. She advocates for teaching empathy in schools through dedicated subjects or workshops to prevent harm from an early age.

When asked what one concrete change she would most like to see, Vuksanović explains:

“Besides insisting on empathy in schools, I would like hate speech to stop passing without consequences. Not just legally, but socially. There must be clear boundaries and accountability- especially for public figures. The moment society sends a message that this is unacceptable, change becomes possible."

This vision highlights that change is not only possible, but within reach- a call for society to take responsibility and make hate speech unacceptable for everyone.

*The name has been altered to ensure anonymity.