hate crime and the leading causes that drive the crimes

Over ten years, between 2004 and 2015,  hate crimes in the United States of America average 250,000 incidents per year (Masucci & Langton, 2017). However, it recorded a 16-year rise hate crimes in 2018 alone (Levin, 2019). Of these cases, 48% were associated with race, 35.4% with ethnicity, while 29% of the cases were associated with gender. However, there were reports that 22.5% of the hate crimes were related to the gender of the victim and 16.7% involved religious hate crimes. With the increased incidences of hate crimes, this paper seeks to establish the most prevalent hate crime and the leading causes that drive the crimes.

Most reported hate crimes in the USA are racially motivated. A report by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (2019) indicates that an overwhelming 59.6% of all hate crime-related cases in 2018 were associated with a person’s ethnicity, race, or ancestry.  Traditionally, most racially motivated hate crimes have been against the Black American group in the USA. However, there has been a 14% jump in hate crimes against the Latino community in the past two years. Notably, over the same period, the USA presidency has stepped up its anti-Latino rhetoric and policies. Nevertheless, black people continue to bear the brunt of hate crimes.

The leading causes of racially instigated hate crimes include group dynamics and adventure-seeking. Research indicates that groups of mostly young people commit  66% of all hate crimes. A dislike drives them for a particular community and peer influence  (Walters et al., 2016). Also, some pepetrate hate crimes for defensive purposes. Such people feel that the victims are invading their territories hence unfairly compete for resources like housing, jobs, and social welfare, leading to a reduction of resources available to all. Therefore, this rthe major driveragainst hate crimes emetted on immigrants (Chakraborti et al., 2014). However, there are those hwo comit hate crimes as retariatory measures. Such offenders feel that the victims are the causers or are related to those who have in the past inflicted other crimes against the indigenous community (Hanes & Machin, 2014). This is evident on hate crimes against Muslim groups in the USA after the September 11, 2001, bombings.

Additionally, some are mission offenders. They habor a vendetta against other groups and believe they are the superior group. For them, ocastrating hate crimes to “outsider” groups of people is an honor to their society (Chakraborti &Garland, 2015). This can be said of the White Supremacists against black people in the USA and the nazi regime against Jews in Germany.

References

Chakraborti, N., Garland, J., & Hardy, S.-J. (2014). The Leicester Hate Crime Project: Findings   and Conclusions.  University of   Leicester.         www2.le.ac.uk/departments/criminology/hate/documents/fc-full-report

Chakraborti, N. & Garland, G. (2015). Hate Crime: Impacts, Causes and Responses. Sage            Publishers.

Hanes, E. & Machin, S. (2014). Hate Crime in The Wake of Terror Attacks: Evidence from 7/7     and 9/11. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 30(3), pp. 247–67.

Federal Bureue of Investigations (2019). 2018 Hate Crime Statistics. Department of Justice.            www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics

Levin, S. M. (2019). Violent Hate Crimes in US Reach Highest Levels in 16 Years, FBI Reports.   The Guardian. www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/12/hate-crimes-2018-latinos          transgender-fbi

Mazucci, M., & Langton, l. (2017). Hate crime victimization, 2004-2015. Bureau of Justice           Statistics, www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hcv0415.pdf

Walters, M. A., Brown, R., & Wiedlitzka, S. (2016). Causes and Motivations of Hate Crimes.       Equality and Human Rights Commission.   www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/research-report-102-causes-and            motivations-of-hate-crime.pdf