Poll: 45% of Students Justify Violence to Halt Hate Speech

WHO:

Fox News Politics - A university president warned about survey findings on students’ views of hate speech and violence; the article does not name the president.

Fox News - Lauren Noble, executive director of the Buckley Institute, said undergraduate support for prosecuting speech was “a red flag for the country.”

Fox News - The Buckley Institute conducted the survey.

Fox News - The survey covered full-time undergraduate students under age 25 at four-year public or private colleges and universities; it excluded part-time students, students 25 and older, and students at community colleges, technical schools, or trade schools.

WHAT:

Fox News Politics - A survey found that 45% of college students believe physical violence is justified to stop hate speech.

Fox News - Forty percent of students agreed that offensive speech should be subject to criminal prosecution; 52% disagreed. Agreement rose seven percentage points from the previous year and was the highest in the three years the question had been asked.

Fox News - Forty-five percent agreed that physical violence could be justified to prevent someone from using hate speech or making racially charged comments; 50% disagreed. Agreement rose six percentage points from the previous year, tied the high recorded in 2023, and compared with 30% in 2017, the first year the question was asked.

Fox News - Forty-two percent agreed that political comments they disagreed with could harm their mental health; 53% disagreed. Agreement rose four percentage points from the previous year and was the highest in the five years the question had been asked.

Fox News - Noble said, “The 40% of undergraduates who support criminalizing offensive speech will bring that perspective into their communities and workplaces after they graduate.”

Fox News - Noble said colleges and universities were “clearly not doing enough” to explain why free speech is critical to a free society. She said acceptance of violence and shout-downs as responses to disagreeable speech should set off “alarm bells.”

WHERE:

Fox News - The survey polled undergraduates at four-year colleges across the United States.

Fox News - A photograph caption identified a Capitol Building event in Washington, D.C.

WHEN:

Fox News - The survey polled 803 undergraduates in mid-September.

Fox News - A photograph caption described an event at the U.S. Capitol on October 14, 2025.

HOW:

Fox News - The survey included 803 undergraduates enrolled at four-year colleges and universities across the country.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 06:01 UTC)

A Buckley Institute survey of 803 undergraduates at four-year colleges across the country found that 45% said physical violence could be justified to stop hate speech, while 50% disagreed. Forty percent supported criminal prosecution for offensive speech, up seven percentage points from the previous year and the highest level in the three years the question was asked; 42% said political comments they disagreed with could harm their mental health. Buckley Institute executive director Lauren Noble called support for prosecuting speech “a red flag for the country” and said colleges were “clearly not doing enough” to explain why free speech matters.