‘Shocking’ number of Americans believe speech can be ‘violence,’ poll finds

A large majority of Americans believe words can be equated to physical violence, a poll released Thursday found.

In total, 80% of respondents at least slightly agreed with the statement that “words can be violence,” while 22% said it describes their thoughts “completely,” according to an October poll by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which it described as “shocking.” Only 12% of Gen Z respondents disagreed that speech could be violent.

“Equating words with violence trivializes actual physical harm, shuts down conversations, and even encourages real violence by justifying the use of force against offensive speech,” Greg Lukianoff, FIRE President and CEO, said in a press release. “Free speech isn’t violence, it’s the best alternative to violence ever invented.”

Women were more likely to believe words can be equated to violence, with 86% responding in the affirmative compared to 73% of men, according to the press release. Democrats were more likely to agree with the comparison, totaling 89% compared to 73% of Republicans and 72% of independents.

Nearly 90% of Americans surveyed said they believe they should have the right to speak freely during a public comment session, over 70% said they believe they should have the right to criticize public officials during council meetings and 55% believe they should have the right to post mocking videos of political candidates to social media, FIRE found.

Many Americans in the poll reported having to censor their speech, with 85% doing so over the past month alone, while 38% are at least slightly worried about losing their job if someone complains about something they have said, the poll found.

Around 64% of respondents also said that free speech in the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction, with just over 40% saying the right to free speech is “not very” or “not at all” secure, according to the poll.

Events such as protests have raised questions nationally about what is considered free speech and where to draw the line. While countless protests nationwide have grown into violence and had to be forcefully broken apart, one federal judge recently found that an anti-Israel group had grounds to sue university officials for limiting their ability to protest.

The poll was conducted Oct. 4 through 11 and surveyed 1,000 individuals with a margin of error of 3%.

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