Stop Policing, Start Participating: Why Co-Creating a Code of Conduct Is the Antidote to Hate Speech
A Featured Activity from the HATE-LESS Toolkit
In traditional education or youth work settings, rules are often established top-down. We are handed a list of “Do’s” and “Don’ts,” and our role is simply to follow them. While this might maintain temporary order, it rarely builds a deep sense of responsibility. If we want to genuinely address and prevent hate speech, we have to flip the script.
Hate speech often grows in environments where individuals feel unheard, disconnected, or excluded. This week, we are highlighting a core activity from the HATE-LESS Toolkit that directly targets these root causes. It’s called Activity 1: “Our Values, Our Voice.”
The Problem with Policing Behavior
When we impose rules, we place the responsibility for maintaining order solely on the authority figure. The participants (students, youth, group members) remain passive. If that authority figure isn’t looking, the rules can easily be broken. In this model, discipline often depends on a system of surveillance and punishment. This approach may stop a behavior temporarily, but it doesn’t change the underlying culture.
The Power of Participation: Co-Creation
The “Our Values, Our Voice” activity transforms group dynamics by placing ownership directly in the hands of the participants. It recognizes that responsibility cannot be forced.
Here is why this approach, taken from Module 1 of our methodology, is so powerful:
- Starts with Individual Values: The activity begins not with a rule, but with a question: “What makes a group feel safe, fair, and respectful for you?” This allows every individual to reflect on their personal needs and voice them, grounding the collective rules in personal reality.
- Nurtures Multidisciplinary Thinking: It combines social psychology (individual values), organizational design (group statutes), and civic engagement (symbolic affirmation) to create a robust system of shared behavior.
- Creates a “Shared Covenant”: The final Code of Conduct is not a list of prohibitions. It is an agreement, a promise that everyone in the room has made to each other. When everyone “signs” the document (whether digitally or on a physical poster), they aren’t just agreeing to follow rules; they are committing to a specific way of treating their community members.
- Agency Displaces Aggression: The feeling of agency (that one’s voice matters and has an impact on the environment) is a critical factor in social psychology. When young people have agency in defining their boundaries, they are far less likely to resort to aggression or hate to assert control.
HATE-LESS: Creating Resilient Communities
At its core, this activity is about building Resilient, Hate-Free Spaces. By investing an hour in co-creating a Code of Conduct, group leaders are making a long-term investment in prevention. They are ensuring that dignity, not discipline, is the foundation of the group.
We encourage all educators, youth workers, and team leaders to try this activity. See for yourself how a shared commitment can transform a group culture from the inside out.
📖 Ready to build ownership in your group? Download the full activity description and the HATE-LESS Toolkit for free here: https://tinyurl.com/muc7xckn
Extra material: European Commission, The Code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online +
Funding Agency: JUGEND für Europa
Learn more about HATE-LESS: https://hate-less.eu
