A new support manual and glossary for the prevention of hate speech was presented in Portugal. The document, coordinated by the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV), was launched on the International Day Against Hate Speech and is intended to serve as a resource for citizens, education professionals, researchers, and law enforcement to help fight hate speech.
According to ISCTE researcher Rita Guerra, who was involved in drafting the handbook, hate speech does not always manifest itself explicitly. It can often emergethrough subtle strategies, such as irony, sarcasm, or other linguistic devices. These can conceal discriminatory messages while still having all the same negative effects on victims and society.
The manual also emphasises the link between hate speech, disinformation, and other forms of information manipulation, advocating a preventive approach grounded in education, awareness-raising, and training for various professionals.
The digital version of the document is available through the COOPERHATE project—A Multidisciplinary Cooperative Approach to Prevent and Combat Hate Crimes and Hate Speech, supported by the European Union.
According to the information cited in the manual, several reports from independent organizations point to an increase in hate speech in Portugal, despite the lack of official data on this phenomenon. In its latest report from 2025, released in May, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) warned of a rise in this type of behavior in Europe.
