A hate crime is described as a crime that is motivated by racial, religious, gender, sexual orientation, or other prejudice. These laws were not passed by U.S. Representatives until the late 1980’s, they were passed because studies showed crimes that were prejudice motivated had increased. The lawful definition of hate crime varies from state to state. Some states disregard crimes based on sexual orientation. Others only extend to harassment, assault, and damage to property crimes, but all states the victim’s actual status is irrelevant. There are three types of hate-crime laws. One version of the law says that hate crimes are more serious crimes because it was hate oriented. For an example, according to Ohio’s hate crime law says, “any person who commits menacing, aggravated menacing, criminal damage or criminal …show more content…
Which means if you committed an ethnic intimidation crime with a crime that would be considered a normally be considered misdemeanor, that crime would then become a more serious offense. The second type of hate crime law only worsens the punishment for certain crimes that are crime oriented, and the third type only requires the collection of crime oriented statistics. This paper will show the different hate crime theories, the situational factors that are associated with brutality in hate crimes, law enforcement responses to hate crime, anti-hate organizations and what they are, and ways to prevent hate crime.
There are many different explanations that could explain why people commit hate crimes, and a lot researchers suggest that wide range of aspects that contribute to 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.
Hate crimes has become an increasing problem here in the united states ranging from racial hatred to gender discrimination but what are hate crimes? According to Dr. Jack McDevitt, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston Hate crimes are message crimes, Hate crimes are defined as crimes that are violent act against people, property, or organizations because of the group to which they belong or identify with. The coined term “hate crimes” was first used No matter how many different definitions there are for hate crimes but we all can agree that hate crimes are wrong and immoral. But within hate crimes they are many different types of hate crimes. One of the main reasons that people commit hate crimes would
While hate crime is a fairly new label for a crime, the existence of hate crimes has been present since the early days of the United States. Throughout US history, murders, assaults, and destruction of property has occurred against African Americans, American Indians, Irish immigrants, Asian Americans, Latino’s, gays, the mentally handicapped, and all other groups of minorities. Since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, there has been an increase in racial based attacks against those of Middle Eastern descent, whether they are Muslim or not. Of all of these, African Americans are subjected to the highest number of hate crimes (Martin 1996), with Muslims, homosexuals, and transgendered people on
A hate crime is a crime of prejudice. The commitment of hate crimes is motivated by racial, sexual and even religious differences that often result to violence and death. America today is besieged by hate crimes. It seems that everywhere we turn, in the newspapers, on television and on social media, hate crimes are not only reported but are actually supported. It is unprecedented in American history how much bigotry is thrown out in our faces from the news and in social media. (Patillo, 2017) Behind every hate crime is a message. This is why the mainstream media and social media have become platforms for various groups to brag about their religious and racial biases and what they intend to do about those who against their beliefs. Hate crimes are espoused by religious and racial bigots to sow hate and dissension in order to convince people that their religious and racial prejudices are correct. Politicians, law enforcement units and the local community have to take firm steps to prevent such acts of violence from occurring in their locality.
The hate crime legislations in the United States need to clearly define and identify hate crimes. Title 18 of the United States Code allows prosecutors to prosecute anyone who intentionally injures, intimidate, interferes with someone else, or attempts to do so, by force because of a person’s race, color, religions, or
They also occur because of the failure to understand that there are differences between people and their traditions. Often times, people feel intimidated by people who speak a different language. They don’t know what they’re saying, maybe they’re talking about them, and they may also feel jealous because of it. People may commit hate crimes against immigrants because they feel like they’re taking jobs away from the American people and feel like they shouldn’t be in America because it isn’t their original country. Another reason people commit crimes against immigrants is because they feel that they get assistance from the government that Americans don’t. Some American people also don’t want the immigrants to mix in with their race or in American society period. Offenders of hate crimes just like the thrill of committing a crime on someone of a group they don’t like. Other offenders who truly dislike another race will continue to commit these crimes against them until they are caught by authority.In some cases, being a victim of a hate crime is the reason it’s committed. Some victims feel threatened by the race that they were attacked by. Some of the victims just want revenge from the group that they were attacked by.Offender age range and top citiesHate crimes are mostly done by young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years old. In some cases, offenders may even go up to being 26 years of age. The main states in the United States where hate
Hate crimes are many different criminal acts such as vandalism, arson, assault, and even murder. Many hate crimes are based on an individual’s race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disabilities. Everyone can be potential victims of hate crimes. Anyone from any social class can be considered targets for hate crimes. If you or a group believes in a different religion or speaks a different language and the offenders do not approve, then they will target you. No one can be really safe and overcome hate crimes if they are being targeted. It is a cruel and depressing world. With help as a community can stop hate crimes.
Hate crimes are difficult to fathom, primarily because they involve the unprovoked physical attacking and, sometimes, murder of people based on race and ethnicity. A more formal definition of hate crimes is presented by Shepard (2017, p. 285). As he writes, “a hate crime is a criminal act that is motivated by extreme prejudice,” This is a very good, concise and accurate definition, nevertheless, hate crimes are not the outcome of unimaginable heights of discrimination. Most people have prejudices and many have stereotypes regarding others, whether it be racial or class stereotypes. Nobody is completely lacking in any form, shape or type of prejudice but, the much greater percentage does not physically attack, beat or murder those whom they
Profile of a Hate Crime Offender Sterilized from emotion, hate crime, also called bias crime, is those offenses motivated in part or singularly by personal prejudice against other because of a diversity-race, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity/national origin, or disability. Hate crimes are committed out of anger, ignorance, and lack of knowledge of another’s ideas and beliefs. There are many causes for an individual to commit a hate crime. Also, many different profiles fit the description of a hate crime offender. There are ways to prevent and control hate crimes, but they will always be present in society as long as every person has the right to express his or her opinion.
Hate crimes are violations against the law that are motivated by a type of prejudice. 80% of these crimes include violence and are taken very seriously. In fact, they are the highest priority of the FBI’s Civil Rights program. They are essentially dangerous to the community because they encourage hatred and can even be classified as a form of terrorism. Since hate crimes have been on a rise since the mid 1900’s, law enforcement agencies have been forced to take action. As a result of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, the FBI was able to investigate any biased crimes based upon race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or gender.
The hate crimes law usually provided harsh penalties for criminals who target victims towards fixed characteristics, including race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and more, according to its definition. It can not only threaten the individual, but also harm the whole community.
To declare a crime, constitutionally, as an act of hate, victim compliance is necessary. This is not always an easy task, however. Of all the intricacies surrounding hate crime, this may forever be the most prominent and challenging of them all. This is due to the potential reluctance of victims to comply, and there are many reasons for why they would have such reluctance. For starters, a notable one is their fear of re-victimization.
¨A hate crimes in any crime committed which is motivated by bias or based on the victim’s perceived membership in a specific group.¨(“Hate Crimes”). Hate crimes are the outcome when someone targets a victim based on their race, sexual orientation, religion, and etc… The question that should be asked is why people support it. Hate crimes are inhumane. Even the constitution states that all men are created equal, so what steps have we taken to stop hate crimes and how do we show everyone why it’s wrong. “The FBI investigated what are now called hate crimes
Hate crime generally refers to a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation”, (Hall, 2013).
Throughout American history, violent criminal acts against a specific person or a group of individuals were just that, violent crimes. In the 1980’s, the term hate crime was born. The term hate crime was used by a group of advocates to describe a series of violent incidents targeting several minorities (Nij.gov, 2015). A hate crime is “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,