Survey Shows College Students’ Views on Campus Speaker Violence

A recent survey by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) reveals that 30% of college students across the U.S. consider using violence acceptable to stop a controversial speaker at a campus event. This survey indicates varying degrees of acceptance, with 3% always considering it acceptable, 12% sometimes finding it justifiable, and 16% rarely agreeing with such measures.

The context of this survey comes a year after the assassination of Charlie Kirk at a college event organized by Turning Point USA on September 10, 2025. Kirk was known for engaging in debates with students, and his death placed a spotlight on the issue of free speech on campuses.

I’m a university president. Our profession should finish what Charlie Kirk started.

FIRE highlighted a decline in the percentage of students endorsing violence, down from 34% in 2025. Still, there is an increase of 10 points compared to four years ago. On the other hand, 70% of students this year stated that using violence against speakers is never acceptable.

The survey also found that 69% of students find it acceptable to shout down a speaker, a slight decrease from last year but an increase compared to four years prior. This trend indicates lingering tension on campuses regarding free speech and controversial speakers.

FIRE Data Analyst Chapin Lenthall-Cleary expressed satisfaction over the decline in acceptance of violence but noted that the potential for harm might deter open discourse on campuses. Lenthall-Cleary suggested that the change in student attitudes could be linked to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

Interestingly, the survey uncovered shifts in acceptance of violence among political affiliations. Once, liberal students were twice as likely to accept violence compared to conservatives. Now, conservative and moderate, particularly male, students show a significant increase in this acceptance, leveling the field with liberal students. Despite a slight overall decline in support for violence, over 30% still believe it is at least rarely acceptable to use force to prevent a speaker.

Charlie’s death at Utah Valley University left profound impacts on free speech at that campus, illustrating both supportive and adverse outcomes.

FIRE also released rankings on free speech across various colleges, revealing that the top institutions are the University of Chicago, Claremont McKenna College, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan Technological University, and Vanderbilt University. These rankings stem from data involving 62,997 undergraduate students from 262 institutions.