Hate Crime Essay

What is a hate crime? A simple answer to that question is physical or verbal violence against someone or a group based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, and/or religion. However, there are many elements and factors that turn a petty crime into a hate crime. Hate crimes have been a part of history for several years, leaving various populations vulnerable to hate. In this essay, what constitutes something as a hate crime, laws and history, examples and victims, statistics, and possible solutions will be discussed. Prejudices and discrimination are the root cause of hate crimes.

Hate crimes can be traced back thousands of years and still are prevalent today. The FBI describes hate crimes as “ … criminal offense[s] against a person or

For those who are unfamiliar, Till a young black boy was lynched after being falsely accused of sexual harrassing a white woman. He took a brutal beating all because of the color of his skin. Today, his accuser remains free and his family without a son. Jennifer Daugherty, a 30 year old woman with intellectual disabilities was brutally murdered due to having a disability. Although her killers were charged, hate crimes were not a part of the charges. Unfortunately, Jennifer’s case is not the only one. According to the article, “ … people with disabilities are at least 2.5 times more likely to experience violence than those without. And much of that violence is extraordinarily cruel and sadistic” (McKinney, 2018). These victims portray that hate crimes can happen to anyone. The most vulnerable are those with disabilities, minorities, lgbtq+ community, and religious affiliations. The FBI’s UCR data revealed that the three most common hate crimes are anti-race, anti-religion, and anti-sexual orientation. It’s important to note that most hate crimes are on an individual-based agenda, as opposed to terrorist

citizens to desert their prejudices. However, like any law it does not prevent hate crimes from occuring 100%. Although prejudices are going to always exist there are ways to reduce hate crimes. Hence prejudices are the root of hate crimes evidence has shown that lack of education brings about hateful tendencies. The less you know about something generally makes one feel negatively towards it. This is the case with biases. Therefore, ensuring people are being properly educated about certain populations and topics is important in an attempt to decrease hate crimes. This is why “Antibias teaching should begin in early childhood and continue through highschool” (Steinberg, et al., 2001). Schools have a major role when it comes to educating and stepping in when needed. Oftentimes hatred is derived from childhood and displayed in school. As acts of bias toward a person or group are exhibited it’s crucial for school officials and parents intervene and teach what is