The Consequences Of Hate Crimes

A 2005 study conducted by National Institute of Justice, found that the Federal Government and all but one state, Wyoming, have laws related to hate crimes. A consistent problem identified by this study is there in no consistency in defining what constitutes a hate crime. (Carrie F. Mulford, Ph.D., & Michael Shively, Ph.D., Hate Crime in America: The Debate Continues, 257, Nat’l Inst Just., (2007). “The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines hate crime—also called bias crime—as “a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin.” ld.

The Klu Klux Klan, one of the most recognised hate groups in US history, was founded in 1865. They were under the impression that people of color were less valuable than white people, some even believing that they weren't human. Something people don’t realize is that groups like that are still around today, and just as active as ever. Hate groups, and just random unorganised hate crimes are just as real as me and you, and they are still an active threat. Hate Crime is relevant, and as a society, we should be doing our best to snuff out the flames of prejudice and resentment that burn in the hearts of anyone willing to participate in such unjust behavior. This kind of activity is not only hurtful emotionally, but sometimes, it turns to violence. Innocent people getting picked off the street simply because of their beliefs, who they love, or the color of their skin. This is something that nobody should stand for, especially now, in this constantly progressing world. All in all, Hate Crimes are a real problem, and in order to stop injustice such as this, we need to work together as human beings to accept people, regardless of who they are.

Throughout the country the people have seen a variety of problems with the justice system and how nothing is being done to fix the problems. For instance,The amount of hate crimes against foreign U.S citizens is at an all time high, there are too many innocent minorities are being killed by law enforcement, and the level of police abuse is at a record high. These crimes are causing major problems for the society and its people. The problems that have occurred within the crime and justice system are intolerable and the democrats are going to help by attempting to fix these problems to the best of their ability.

Hate Crimes Prevention Act also provides authorities with a better picture of the prevalence of hate crimes by requiring local authorities to include hate crimes committed because of sexuality, gender, gender identity, and disability to the reports on local hate crimes that they send in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Before the HCPA, hate crimes were already too prevalent in the United States, and the addition of these new classifications of hate crimes only added to the amount of hate crimes committed, giving the government and U.S. citizens a greater awareness of this problem. For example, of the 6,573 hate crimes committed in 2012, the top three motivations behind these acts were race (47.2 percent), religion (20.2 percent), and sexual orientation (19.7 percent) (“Hate Violence,”

Chapter 7 pertains to victims of violence and who they are. I was informed about the legal rights of violent crime victims, such as the general list of victim rights that stemmed from the Crime Victims Assistance Act of 1988. I also learned about the different types of hate crimes and the consequences of hate crime victimization. Another point touched on in this chapter was crimes against the homeless and how environmental degradation is an act of violence. The section of this chapter that interested me the most was learning about the victims of violent sexual assault. Unfortunately the notion of victim blame seemed to be a recurring theme in this chapter and was a main point made when learning about the myths of rape against women.

Plenty of recent studies and cases that involved hate crimes have had a steady increase in recent years throughout the United States. The crimes range from minor cases such as disagreements and gender bias however the major cases are the ones that have constantly surfaced such as crimes related to Religion, Race, Sexual Orientation, and most importantly Gangs. Hate crimes have always been around although many of the people committing the crimes know that what they are doing is wrong psychologically they believe their actions are justified by themselves or a group they ae associated with even at the cost of a human life. Many group and individuals committing these crimes make it a part of their lifestyle to commit these crimes based upon their

Recent data has shown an increase in the number of hate crimes being committed within the United States. Hate groups also are mobilizing. This poses a problem for Americans. The Southern Poverty Law Center provides a solution for this by monitoring hate groups and gathering information about them. To continue doing this, they need donations to keep operating but multiple barriers exist for individuals to contribute funds.

The offender is often motivated by a bias and their criminal act sends a clear message of hate and violence towards a particular person or group or people. The offender’s motive can be extremely threatening to people who are far removed from the actual scene of the crime. Victims of hate crimes that are chosen based on their race, sexual orientation, or religion can cause all those in the community who share those characteristics and beliefs to experience the same vulnerability as the victim. The community is then overcome by fear and uncertainty. These effects can be as devastating as the crime itself.

Based on the discussion from the Williams Institute, it is evident that there continues to be a prevalence of discrimination among groups that are not viewed as culturally acceptable in our county. In this article, it is reported that people are more likely to experience hate crimes based on their sexual orientations. For instance, 44% of people reported experience physical violence (without a weapon) because of their sexual orientation, and 80% had been verbally harassed (Herek, 2009). Although the Hates Crimes Statistic Law became effective in 1990, the stigma surrounding the LGBTQ community continues to affect their everyday life. It may defer a person by identified their sexual orientation for the fear of being discriminating in the workplace,

A crime that has been performed because of sexual, racial, or other prejudice feelings is known as a hate crime. These wrongdoings often include violence and are one of the FBI’s Civil Rights programs highest priority to stop. They are at such an importance to control because the destruction these crimes cause families and communities is horrible. It is also believed that these crimes can plant a seed of terrorism in our country because of the intolerance and hatred preached by these criminals.

Hate crime has been an ongoing issue in America. The Federal Bureau of Investigation report released in 2014 recorded 5928 hate crimes and 7242 victims. Hatred and antagonism are not new to American society; it’s only getting worse and more ingrained gradually. It is striking to know that the communities America has alienated, such as African Americans and women, have always been integral elements in its society. To better comprehend victimization, the subsequent aspects will be analyzed: ethnicity and religion.

Almost every person in America can pinpoint a time when they saw a news segment about some hate-based crime that was committed. Although some may argue that all crimes in the same category should be treated equally, hate crime should be punished more severely because the law requires it and it promotes safety and equality in communities.

Matthew Shepard was born on December 1, 1976. His parents were Judy and Dennis Shepard. Matthew Shepard died on October 12,1998 as a result of extensive injuries from a violent, gay related hate crime. (biography.com) He was only 21 years old. He was beaten and left to expire because two particular men did not like his sexual preference.

First, from the victim's point of view, the purpose of hate/bias crimes adds the extra dimensions of fear and devaluation to the victimization. Someone has been targeted due to a core characteristic of his or her identity that cannot be changed. If membership in a target group is readily visible, the victim may feel particularly vulnerable to a repeat attack that can result in a feeling of hopelessness. The fears are also exacerbated because society has been slower to respond to hate/bias crimes than to random "stranger" crimes. The victim may then become afraid to associate with other members of the group who have been targeted or may resist seeking needed services, believing that these actions will increase his or her

This paper will explore the long-term effects a hate crime has on the victim and his or her community. The victims and communities are directly and indirectly affected by the crime. Victims suffered long term effects such as negative mental and physical health, anxiety, depression, and symptoms of PTSD. The affected communities were victimized solely for sharing the same characteristics and beliefs of the victim. The long lasting effects of the hate crime influence every aspect of the victim’s life and those communities involved. Coping mechanisms such as support groups helped the victim and the communities regain some normality in their lives.