Hate Crime Flashcards
Define hate crime
a range of criminal behaviour motivated by prejudice or hostility on the basis of any aspect of the victims identity.
Examples of hate crime
verbal abuse, intimidation, threats, assault, harassment, bullying, and in some cases, murder.
Who are the typical victims of hate crimes?
anyone with protected characteristics that are targeted: sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, gender reassignment, disability, pregnancy, age, sex/gender, religion/beliefs, marriage/civil partnerships.
Who are the typical offenders of hate crimes?
anyone who shows prejudice or hostility against any of the above characteristics.
What are the reported ‘reasons’ for hate crimes?
- thrill: commit crimes for excitement or thrill.
- defensive: see themselves as defending their turf.
- mission: target specific groups they deem evil or inferior, believe it is for the benefit of all.
- retaliatory: engage in violence in the belief that doing so is justified vengeance.
What is the level of public awareness surrounding hate crimes?
initially low due to disinterest if it doesn’t affect people personally, and the underreporting of these crimes. recently increasing due to media coverage of high profile cases, and movements such as Black Lives Matter.
Are hate crimes considered criminal or deviant?
Both. criminal as different offences fall under various laws. deviant as goes against values such as being respectful of others.
How many hate crimes were reported in England and Wales in 2022/23, and of these how many were racially motivated and how many were motivated by sexual orientation?
145,214 hate crimes reported. 101,906 were racially motivated. 24,102 were motivated by sexual orientation.
Why are hate crimes often not reported?
Fear, shame, complexity of reporting process.
41% thought it wasn’t serious enough to report. 25% didn’t think their complaint would be taken seriously.
Didn’t recognise what was hate crime, and their right to report it. Poor experiences with the police in the past.
What happened to Stephen Lawrence?
He was murdered by a gang of white men in a racist attack in 1993. Suspects were charged, but the charges were dropped before trial due to a ‘lack of evidence’. Nelson Mandela spoke out about lack of police action, raising the profile of the cade. The police declared the case inactive in 2020.
