...HATE CRIME A hate crime is defined as any wrongdoing committed against a specific group of people. A type of prejudice, hate crimes are directed at a group of individuals because of their religion, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, or any other significant characteristic. Here are some basic facts on hate crimes: * Hate crimes have been occurring since ancient civilization, like the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. * 6,222 hate crime incidents involving 7,254 offenses were reported in 2011 alone. * Every hour in the United States, a hate crime is committed against another individual or group. * Half of all the hate crimes in the nation are committed by people between the ages of 15 and 24. * At least eight African Americans, three white people, three gay people, three Jewish people, and one Latino person are victim to hate crimes every day. Hate crimes have been occurring in the US since it was founded, festering in groups like the Klu Klux Klan. The term ‘hate crime’ did not enter the nation’s vocabulary until the early 1980’s—around the time when groups like the Skinheads launched a wave of bias-related crime. The FBI began investigating these hate crimes as early as World War I, when the Klu Klux Klan was at its height, marching in Washington DC and murdering both white and black people with impunity. However, hate crime legislation was not introduced in the House or Senate until the 1980s. In 1990, the Hate Crimes Statistics...
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...Inequalities SSCI210-1704A-04 – Sociology October 24, 2017 The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that hate crime that was reported to the police stating that the targeted individuals were people of disabilities, different sexual orientation, different in religion and different ethnicity. Sixty percent was that of blacks and thirty percent was targeted towards white in racially motivated offenses (nij.gov, 2017). Hate crime is defined by the U.S. Department of Justice “the violence of intolerance and bigotry, intended to hurt and intimidate someone because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability...
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...Africa as a hate crime and its effects on the victims who experience the consequences thereof. Index 1. Introduction 1 2. Definitions 1 2.1 Definition of Hate Crime 2.2 Definition of Xenophobia 2 3. Hate Crime in South Africa 3 4. Xenophobia in South Africa 4 5. Effects on the Victims of Xenophobia 5 5.1 Individual Effects 5 5.2 Societal Effects 5 5.3 Secondary Victimisation 5 6. Conclusion 6 7. List of References/ Bibliography 7 1. Introduction South Africa has been praised for its peaceful and swift transformation to becoming an open society, founded on democratic values and a constitution that insures principles of human dignity, freedom, equality, and social justice. Regardless of policy and legislative guarantees for fundamental human rights, crime and violence are widespread. Incidents of hate speech, xenophobia and victimisation are on the rise, most recently being the outbreak of attacks against foreign nationals in informal settlements in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa has a long history of prejudice and discrimination. One of the main legacies of apartheid is that of intolerance towards „difference‟ - be it in terms of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation or other causes. South Africa has to deal with the prejudice of the past or adopt new measures to address it. Because of South Africa‟s high crime levels,...
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...A World of Hate Ever wonder what influences a hate crime? Crimes committed through acts of violence because of differences sometimes result in fatalities. It is because of one’s belief, morals, feelings and teachings that influence hate toward others. Populations such as race, sexuality and religion are targeted by hate crimes because of bias, discrimination and prejudice which encourage hate. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, hate crime is defined as any of various crimes (as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender or sexual orientation). Diversity plays a major role when it comes to hate. Differences among each classified group (named above) are reasons why prejudice, discrimination and stereotypes take place causing ill feelings toward these groups. A person’s prejudice may lead to an act of aggression, but hate crimes are mainly caused by a feeling of being threatened by the combination of a certain group of people which the perpetrator is already prejudiced against. Bias-motivated crimes are designed to intimidate the victim and members of the victim’s community in which it leaves them feeling isolated, vulnerable, and unprotected by the law. Hate groups take advantage of economic pain and conspiracy theories. Many of those involved with these hate groups are living in neighborhoods that are decreasing economically and at the same time, demographics rapidly...
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...Hate Crimes: Criminal Profile, Causes, Victims, and Minimization Abstract Discrimination and hate crimes are nothing new. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 enacted the Federally Protected Activities Law in 1969, allowing the federal prosecution of any person or persons, who because another's race, color, religion or national origin, while participating in a federally protected activity, such as voting or going to school, willfully injures or attempts to injure, intimidates or attempts to intimidate or interfere with them(18 USC § 245, n.d.). In 1994 the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act was passed where in Section 280003(a) a hate crime is defined where a person intentionally selects a victim, or a property crime, to commit a crime because of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or homeless status of the victim (28 USC § 994, 1994). The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, was signed by President Obama on October 28, 2009 as a rider to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2010 (H.R. 2647) as a result to the murders of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., expanding the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's race, sexual orientation, gender identity, actual or perceived gender, or disability (Weiner, 2010). As we can see, hate crimes are felonies but they are still committed every day, and sociologists continue to study what drives...
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...A typical individual who commits hate crimes are white male from the age 16-25, 80 percent of the reported hate crime offenders also committed previous crimes against people, the most frequent crime is intimidation. Basically majority of hate crimes are committed by young people who contain some form of disdain or even hatred for someone of a particular group. Who commits hate crimes (2003) Hispanics, gay men, Jews and blacks were the most often targets of hate crimes in the year of 2012. In total there were 7,164 people who were victims of hate crimes which is a decreasing number compared to the results in the prior year. Based upon the report approximately half of all the reported hate crimes were racially motivated, with 22 percent anti-white and 66 percent deemed anti-black; which is also a decreased from the prior year. Nineteen percent of the reported hate crimes were motivated base upon a bias against sexual orientation, 28 percent as anti-homosexual, 12 percent as anti-female homosexual, 53 percent were anti-male homosexual. Dahl, Julia (2013) Hate crimes delivers much of a broader impact within the community because the crime is motivated by bias, the point of hate crimes is to send a message of violent intolerance towards someone of a particular group. Victims of the crime are based upon the characteristics such as their religion or race can cause those in the community who have the same characteristics to share feelings of being the victim and vulnerable. The violent...
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...Hate crimes will likely continue to exist in our society based on the socio-economic factors that influence the nature of these crimes. Hate crimes have long been a problem in American society. This paper will look at some incidents of hate crimes and how they are classified. In this paper, I will also explore who the perpetrators are and how socio-economic factors affect the types of motives that are responsible for these crimes. I will also examine how the legislature chooses which prejudices they want to associate with hate crimes. In order to understand hate crimes, there are a number of factors that you must consider and understand. Primarily, you must first understand what a hate crime is and how it is classified. When considering both crime and law, hate crimes occur when a perpetrator targets a person or group because of their perceived social group. This could be racial, religious, sexually orientated or gender based. The term “hate crime” generally refers to criminal acts that are motivated by a perpetrators conscious or unconscious prejudices. While there are many different classifications of hate crimes, racist anti-black bias is the most frequently reported hate crime motivation in the United States. Of the 8,208nhate crimes reported to the FBI in 2011, 48% were race related- 70% having an anti-black bias. Hate crimes are classified based on whether the crime is motivated by the victims actual or perceived personal characteristics. It must be prove that the perpetrator...
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...Amanda Rizzo Professor Strong English 102 GA 10/18/16 Hate Crimes Throughout America there are several problems that take place due to hate crimes. Hate crime is a crime motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice, typically one involving violence. Hate crimes take place all over America for several reasons such as, your religion, your race and your ethnicity. There were several hate crimes that took place throughout the United States, but the few that really caught my eye were, James Byrd who was an african american male who was murdered. Also Laramie, where a gay guy was brutally beaten to his death. Hate crime does not only just impact the family of the victim but also affects the people around them. James Byrd was a victim of hate crime....
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...When someone is sentenced for a crime, the perpetrator should not only be punished for the physical damaged but also the motive. If a couple white males attacks a black male and while they are attacking him, yell out racial slurs, the motive would be that they are prejudice against the victim. If I were a judge and I had to rule on the constitutionality of hate crimes laws, I would give the defendant a longer sentence, if the motive of a hate crime was apparent. For example, if a heterosexual man gets into a fight with a homosexual man, many people would believe that this is a hate crime. But if we later find out that the homosexual man tried to steal the heterosexual man’s wallet, the case can possibly be dropped. In this scenario, there is...
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...To target a particular group based on perceived wrongdoing on the part of the victim like their race or gender elevates the heinous nature of any crime. Due to the that the perpetrator's belief that what they did was the right thing. That is the nature of any hate crime. The most difficult part of prosecuting a hate crime is proving to the jury that the crime is spurred on by a prejudice and not some other motivation. Like in the case of the death of three Muslims, in North Carolina killed by Craig Hicks execution. When Hicks was charged with first-degree murder instead of a hate crime because the prosecutor could not prove that is a hate crime. Crimes that are motivated by some prejudice do not just affect the victim or their family but also have a psychological impact on the community.Perpetrators that committed this type of crime should be held to a higher standard because of the extreme hatred and likelihood to committed this type of crime again....
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...Crime is inevitable in today’s world. Society poses hardships that may entice some to commit different types of crimes. However, there are crimes that stem from the biased opinions of certain individuals towards others; these types of crimes are categorized as hate crimes. Hate crimes are crimes committed against a defined group of individuals based on aspects including their ethnicity, religion, or sexual preferences. Crimes against homosexuals are categorized as hate crimes because they are targeted by criminals, towards specific individuals. For this reason homosexuals are constant victims of hate crimes, men in particular. Homosexual men are targets for heterosexual men, who believe they are superior in every way. The actions committed against homosexual individuals are unwarranted and malicious. Hate crimes based on sexual orientation are based on the mere fact that certain individuals do not approve same sex relationships or views. It is important to analyze every aspect of a hate crime in order to fully understand the true meaning behind these actions. A hate crime is an unmatched crime because it’s based on the hatred people harbor toward specific individuals. Anyone is capable of committing a crime but it takes a distinctive person to commit a hate crime. Those who engage in any kind of hate crimes are individuals with specific attributes that may include but are not limited to bias, prejudice, and discrimination. Society is propelled by highly controversial issues regarding...
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...October 23, 2011 Inside Look at Hate Crimes Abstract 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 groups believes in a different religion or speak a different language and the offenders does not approve than they will target you. No one can be really safe and overcome if they are being targeted. It’s a cruel and depressing world. With help we as a community can stop hate crimes. Inside Look at Hate Crimes 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 (SikhNet, n.d). When people commit hate crimes they generally chose someone that cannot change a characteristic that they do not like. Hate crimes has been a devastating part of criminology in the United States. A criminologist is one that studies crime and criminal acts. They analyze criminal behavior patterns and criminal law, and gives theoretical explanations for criminal and delinquent behaviors (Criminal Justice, 2011). Criminologist have been working hard to characterize the people who are capable of committing crimes that are based only on the characteristics...
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...Hate Crimes – Cause and Effects AIU Online Abstract This essay will look at motives of an individual and the people that may be targeted by their deviance. What causes an individual to deviate from the norms of society will be discussed along with the effects it has on an individual and members of the community. At last we will look at laws and education that may be useful in minimizing the occurrence of these deviances. Hate Crimes – Cause and Effects Hate crimes it seems are the newest deviances in our social justice vocabulary. Specific hate crime statutes started being passed by state legislatures in the late 80’s following research that showed an escalation of crime that was triggered by prejudice (Hate Crime). Emile Durkheim proposed the structural-functional approach to deviance saying that it is a necessary function to set and affirm our moral boundaries (Macionis, ch. 9, pp 197). But what is a hate crime; do we need a special classification for them and what type of individual would commit these acts? Crimes that are committed due to prejudices of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and other reasons are said to be hate motivated. Unfortunately, the federal government and the thirty plus states that have hate crime statutes cannot come together to agree or precisely define its meaning (Hate Crime). This confusion exists because of the first amendment rights to free speech and the difficulty in regulating individual’s beliefs. To find out who the...
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...Hate Crimes in America May 18, 2014 COM/156 Instructor Kristin Bradley Hate Crimes in America Knowing how the criminal justice system deals with hate crimes can be determine if the history of these crimes is explained and we learn who are now targeted by these crimes. Hate crimes has been a part of the American culture for decades. Hatred and prejudice crimes including lynching, burning crosses, synagogues vandalism, killing, and other crimes committing against a group of people because of their race, religion, handicap, sexual preference, or beliefs are consider hate crimes. This paper will explain to readers the background history of these types of crimes, different types of hate crimes committed in America, targeted victims, and provide hate crime statistics. It will also explain the affects of hate crimes and the laws designed to protect citizens from these harsh crimes. History of Hate Crimes Hate crimes can be defined as any type of wrong doing towards a certain group of people based on ethnics, age, sexual preference, gender, and religious belief (Shively, 2005). Hate crimes are dated back to ancient civilizations when the religious groups Christians were persecuted by the Roman Emperor in 64 AD (The Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.). Other hate crimes in the past that affected the entire world were that of the Nazi persecuting the Jews by the order of Adolf Hilter. There are several cases of hate crimes included in the history of the United States...
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...Crimes that result because of hatred or prejudice against others has been a reality for thousands of years, beginning as far back as the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (maybe even further), with the crimes committed against Native Americans by the Europeans and continuing on until today. Most of them stem off of religious and ethnic biases, especially those committed in the United States. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), however, the term Hate Crimes did not become a part of national vocabulary, specifically in the United States, until the 1980s, when emerging hate groups, like the Skinheads, began committing numerous bias-related crimes. The first recorded "Hate Crime" occurred in 1922 when the Federal Bureau of...
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