Survey: 36% of Slovaks Know Someone Approving of Violence Over Differing Views

Bratislava, November 16 (TASR) - As many as 36 percent of Slovaks know at least one person who approves of violence against people with differing views, according to a survey conducted by Focus agency for DEKK Institute. The data was collected from a sample of 1017 respondents in September this year. The survey showed that 13 percent of respondents know one person who approves of violence in conflicts of opinion. Another 15.6 percent of respondents know two to five people who approve of violence against those with differing views, while 7.4 percent know six or more people who have come to approve of violence in such conflicts. At the same time, 57.5 percent of respondents stated they did not know anyone who approves of violence in conflicts of opinion, and 6.5 percent were unsure whether they knew such people. Pavol Kosnac, researcher and head of the DEKK Institute, noted that it is not possible to determine whether the rate has risen or fallen, as no similar survey has been conducted in the past. "However, we know that polarisation in Slovakia has been growing for a long time. We are the third most polarised society in Europe, just behind Poland and Hungary," he added. tl/mcs/zel/ko