Hate Crimes

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IMPACT OF HATE CRIMES ON
VICTIMS AND COMMUNITIES

by: Bailee Hilton and Zamantha Hugo
General Psychology(Psych 1100)
Dr. Tamara Denton

Everyone comes from a different place, a different background, and with a different opinion. In todays’ society individuality is not always accepted. The people you are surrounded by may feel as if you should agree with everything they do, look the same as them, and be from the same place. In our society hate crimes are happening every day because of a person’s individuality. Hate crimes do not affect only the victim of the crime, but the family and the community as well. A hate crime is defined as the victimization of an individual based on that individual’s race, religion, national origin, ethnic identification, gender, or sexual orientation.
There are many different types of hate crimes including: rape and sexual assault, physical assault with a weapon, verbal or physical harassment, vandalism or robbery, and attacks on homes, or places of worship. In 2012, 5,790 single­bias hate crimes were reported. Of those, 48.3% of these incidents were racially motivated, while 19.6% were because of sexual orientation. Then, in 2013 there were 5,922 single­bias hate crime incidents reported. When you divide that number by 365 days in a year that would give us about 16 hate crimes committed per day. Once again the number one reason for the crime was based on race and the number two reasons was based on the sexual orientation of the victim. In today’s society these two factors are the two main reasons why we victimize a person. The color of our skin is not in our control. We are born with the color of our skin and it will be passed down for many generations. Sexual orientation is our personal choice.
Nobody has the right to victimize against you because they do not have the same color skin

or believe the same as you do. When you are a victim of a hate crime, although you may be affected physically, it is much more than just that. As a victim of a hate crime you may feel deep personal hurt or betrayal. Victims often live in fear of their lives and their families’ lives. Often times the individual will change their lifestyle. They may change where they walk, how they walk, or how they answer the phone. Many times victims will also move many times because they feel unsafe in the environment they are in. The victim of a hate crime will most likely develop depression or anxiety. They may also have PTSD, which makes it very difficult to lead a normal life without having flashbacks of your attack or attacker. This can often lead to self­blame and feeling as if you have no respect for yourself. Being a victim of a hate crime is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome.

The impacts of hate crimes on the community are devastating. When a hate crime is

committed towards a person who’s a part of a certain community, it sends a message of hate towards that community which can lead to restriction of the behaviors and choices of large numbers of people in that community. Through