I’d like to welcome a guest column by Allison Gamble!*
Hate Crimes
The young gay man beaten to death and left tied to a country fence; the Black woman raped and beaten on her way home from the grocery store; the Hispanic migrant worker shot as he leaves his home for work; the assault of a transgender woman: sadly these crimes are occur every day in the United States. In the land of the free, many live in fear for their safety simply for being who they were born to be. When skin color, sexual preference, disability, religion, gender, or ethnic background become the underlying reasons for persecution, violent or otherwise, a hate crime has been committed. Why are hate crimes committed and what are can be done to prevent them from occurring? The answers lie within the forensic psychology of why people have such intense hate of aspects of global and cultural diversity.
Causes of Hates Crimes
Hate crimes are poisonous to individual people, communities, and the country as a whole. A critical step in stopping hate crimes is grasping what motivates them, and taking a multifaceted, nationwide stance of no tolerance. Ignorance is the chief underlying cause of hate crimes. Lack of understanding breeds intolerance and when left unresolved, hateful sentiments can infect others, often leading to intimidation and violence.
Who Commits Hate Crimes?
Studies have shown hate crimes are primarily committed by white males, ages 16 to 28, followed by black males, ages 14 to 30. Though hate crimes are mostly perpetrated by youths, they aren’t crimes of child-like insurgence, but of deep-rooted hate that has been instilled through social and environmental influences. These influences can include peers, family members, lovers, and news and entertainment media. Most hate crimes are far more vicious than other random violent crimes, and are often carried out by groups who share the same ideas and motivations.
Why Do Groups Commit Hate Crimes?
Given the groups that commit the most hate crimes are mostly composed of young males, it’s sensible to recognize these young men cling to a sense of identity and character that is intensified through their community, family, and friendships. Hatred can become an integral component of this shared identity, imbuing a terrible revulsion for specific groups of “others.” Abuse, neglect, and indoctrination into hate-based social and family circles can lead to a greater predisposition to commit a hate crime.
How Can We Combat Hate Crimes in America?
Hate crime laws in the US are continually improving. Recently, President Obama signed into effect an expansion of the legal definition of hate crime including gender, gender identity, disability, and sexual orientation. As of now, 45 states have enacted various hate crime directives. Ultimately, legislation can’t eliminate hate. Education and social intervention to promote tolerance and understanding is the only true measure to stop hate crime at the source.
As a community member, American, and activist, you can help raise awareness of hate crimes and prevent the persecution of innocent people. Investing time to educate the youth of this country is essential. Hate does exist, and being able to properly identify hate-based groups that currently thrive in America is vital in helping children understand how to recognize and avoid hate and intolerance. Helping this country’s young people develop positive critical thinking skills is vital.
Hate will always find a place to hide. Violence toward diversity occurs when misunderstanding meets a lack of education and is allowed to persist and spread. The history of hate is as long as the history of humanity, but as long as it is continually met with resistance, the reach of intolerance can at least be limited.
*”Allison Gamble has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing.”
