Words and Hate Crimes: the second edition of the conference on violence, discrimination and hate speech will take place in Como on 10 and 11 December; call for papers open until 1 October

The PhD Programme in Law and Human Sciences at the University of Insubria is promoting the second edition of the conference «Words and Hate Crimes. Legal and Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Violence, Discrimination and Hate Speech», scheduled for 10 and 11 December in the Aula Magna of the Sant’Abbondio Cloister in Como.

The new edition confirms the conference’s interdisciplinary approach while placing the contribution of legal studies at its core. The phenomenon of hate will be examined from the perspectives of sociology and philosophy of law, constitutional, criminal, civil, Roman, comparative, European, international, anti-discrimination, ecclesiastical and information law, in dialogue with the social sciences, political philosophy, communication studies, linguistics, education, social psychology, gender studies, art history and visual studies.

The conference aims to explore legal categories, forms of protection and responsibilities associated with hate speech and hate crimes, with particular attention to violence and discrimination affecting women, LGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, migrants, ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic minorities and, more generally, individuals and groups exposed to marginalisation, exclusion or stigmatisation. A call for papers is also open to scholars, researchers, research fellows, PhD candidates and professionals interested in hate speech, discrimination and the different forms of violence, including those occurring in digital environments.

The four thematic areas

Contributions may be submitted for one of four sessions. The first, «Hate Speech, Hate Crimes, and the Effectiveness and Efficacy of Legal Protections», will examine the relationship between hate speech, freedom of expression, human dignity, equality and the prohibition of discrimination, together with instruments of prevention, repression and reparation and the role of institutions.

The second session, «Gender, Violence, Vulnerability and Discrimination», will focus on forms of violence and discrimination connected, among other factors, with gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, migration, racism and minority status. Topics will include violence against women, online misogyny, sexist hate speech, gender stereotypes, secondary victimisation, revenge porn, deepfakes, harassment, coercive control, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism and ableism.

The third area, «Digital Platforms, Artificial Intelligence, Media and Visual Representations of Hate», will address the role of online platforms and digital intermediaries, content moderation, algorithms, artificial intelligence and the European regulatory framework, including the Digital Services Act. It will also include analyses of political communication, propaganda, disinformation, polarisation and the symbolic and visual representations of hate and otherness.

The fourth session, «Education, Prevention and a Culture of Non-Discrimination», will focus on the role of educational, cultural and social institutions, cyberbullying, digital citizenship education, education on fundamental rights and inclusive practices in schools and universities.

How to participate

Proposals must include the title of the contribution, an abstract of approximately 300 words, an indication of the relevant disciplinary area, a short biographical note about the author, institutional affiliation and an email address.

The documentation must be submitted in PDF format by 1 October 2026 to sociologiadeldiritto.uninsubria@gmail.com. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection process by 19 October 2026. The selected contributions will be presented during the conference.

The initiative is organised by Paola Biavaschi, the Rector’s Delegate for Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities, and Dr Giacomo Furlanetto, Senior Research Fellow in Sociology of Law at the Department of Human Sciences and Innovation for the Territory. The scientific committee also includes University of Insubria professors Barbara Pozzo, Valentina Jacometti, Maria Cristina Reale and Laura Facchin.

The conference is part of the project «Preventing and Combating Violence against Women through Law and Culture», developed within the training programmes of the Lombardy university system dedicated to preventing and combating violence against women. The project is promoted and funded by Regione Lombardia, in collaboration with the Department of Human Sciences and Innovation for the Territory, the University Research Centres on «Law, Media, Information and Society» and «Epigraphic and Documentary Research», the Italian Society for Comparative Law Research, the Association for Studies in Law & Society, the Equality Councillor of the Province of Varese and the Equality Councillor of the Province of Como.