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JCR Study “Why Online Consumption Communities Brutalize”

The researchers’ analysis of a UK-based electronic music community identifies three constellations of direct, structural, and cultural forms of violence that fuel a community’s brutalization:
 
Sadistic Entertainment: The Internet can provide a platform for some individuals to find amusement in the humiliation and harassment of others, often in response to boredom or a lack of personal excitement due to the mediated interaction format. If shared and supported by community members, this thrill of cruelty can fuel verbal violence and normalizes toxic behaviour within the community.

Clan Warfare: Tightly knit online groups can become insular and surprisingly conservative, leading to suspicion and overt hostility against incoming consumers. This fosters a dangerous "us vs. them" mentality where  verbsl violence against outsiders is justified by narratives of intrusion, and verbal attacks on established members legitimized with their excessive dogmatism.

Popular Justice: When community members disengage from moderation to an extent that transgressions of community norms remain unsanctioned, members take it upon themselves to act as judges, jury, and executioners, punishing perceived transgressions with often extreme verbal violence. This form of direct violence is legitimized with the idea that rogue members deserve such treatment and structurally enabled by the lack of intervention and protection by community leaders. 

The research, which analysed 18 years of interactions in an online electronic dance music community, highlights the crucial distinction between fleeting outbursts and a more systemic pattern of escalating violence. These "brutalization constellations," as the authors call them, explain how seemingly harmless online spaces can transform into hostile battlegrounds.
 
"Verbal violence online should not be taken lightly," emphasizes Olivier Sibai, the lead author of the study. The researchers hope their findings will contribute to developing strategies to understand and mitigate online hostility within these communities.