Survey Reveals Undergraduate Views on Violence and Speech
A recent survey reveals that nearly half of undergraduate students find physical violence acceptable to counteract what they perceive as hate speech. The Buckley Institute’s 2026 National Undergraduate Student Survey shows that 45% of students justify violence in such cases. Notably, this view is held by 54% of liberals, 36% of moderates, and 30% of conservatives.
The survey also highlights that 46% of students approve of shout downs, while 40% think that offensive speech should face criminal prosecution. Additionally, 42% express a preference for living under a socialist system, contrasted with 28% who favor a capitalist system. Alarmingly, 22% believe that the U.S. deserved the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, President of Cornerstone University, regards these findings as indicative of a deeper ‘moral formation issue,’ rather than purely free speech concerns. He warns that students are exhibiting ‘violent entitlement,’ reflecting a significant deviation in moral education.
The Department of Education is receiving calls to act against political violence on college campuses.
Moreno-Riaño criticizes current education for fostering resentment and grievance politics. He states, ‘Colleges and universities have ceased to form students morally, instead teaching them to resent and act violently.’ This shift, he argues, hinders students’ ability to engage in reasoned, meaningful discourse.
He warns that employers are wary due to ‘worthless degrees’ and graduates steeped in entitlement rather than reasoning abilities. Employers are beginning to favor training workers directly from high school to avoid graduates who lack moral grounding.
Moreno-Riaño, leading a private Christian institution since 2021, asserts that for decades the educational landscape has shifted away from moral guidance. He emphasizes that without a moral compass, ideological forces fill the gap, which has been eroding the foundational purpose of higher education.
He notes an emerging trend: employers questioning the utility of hiring college graduates. Instead, they are opting to hire and train directly from high school to mitigate influences they deem detrimental.
Moreno-Riaño points out that the presence of advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence, requires morally grounded individuals. ‘For democracy to thrive, we need individuals who can reason and deliberate, not resort to violence,’ he asserts.
The Buckley Institute survey by Inquire LLC involved 803 full-time undergraduates under 25 from four-year public or private colleges. The survey was conducted online between September 5 and September 14.