NCJ Number
154576
Date Published
1993
Length
297 pages
Annotation
This volume explores the nature and extent of hate crimes in the United States, describes the responses of police and others, and suggests practical guidelines to address the problem.
Abstract
Emphasizing that hate crimes range far beyond the issue of free speech to include violent assault and even murder, the authors discuss crimes directed against specific racial and ethnic groups, women, and homosexuals. They emphasize that, unlike attacks motivated by greed, jealousy, or lust, hate offenses can be regarded as acts of domestic terrorism. The discussion emphasizes that hate crimes include a wide variety of criminal behaviors, differing greatly in their severity and impact on the broader community, and introduces a typology that differentiates various kinds of hate offenses. It also emphasizes that hate crimes arise from the mainstream of society rather than from the pathological ravings of a few deviant types. The analysis concludes that although effective hate crime legislation is important in the short term, the only way to prevent the increasing violence motivated by bias or bigotry is for individual victimized groups to join together in coalitions rather than compete with each other for sympathy and attention. Chapter reference notes, index, and 83 references