Hate Crimes

What is a Hate Crime?

A hate crime is any criminal act or attempted criminal act directed against a person or persons based on someone’s actual or perceived race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender. Hate crimes can include (but are not limited to) threats of violence, injury, and property damage.

From LA Stop Hate Club

Public Law No: 117-13 (05/20/2021)
COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes and reports of hate crimes.

DOJ must issue guidance for state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies on establishing online hate crime reporting processes, collecting data disaggregated by protected characteristic (e.g., race or national origin), and expanding education campaigns.

Additionally, DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

The bill establishes grants for states to create state-run hate crimes reporting hotlines. It also authorizes grants for states and local governments to implement the National Incident-Based Reporting System and to conduct law enforcement activities or crime reduction programs to prevent, address, or respond to hate crimes.

Finally, in the case of an individual convicted of a hate crime offense and placed on supervised release, the bill allows a court to order that the individual participate in educational classes or community service as a condition of supervised release.

Know Your Rights & Bystander Intervention Training

Articles

Article: Hate crimes are on the rise in the U.S. What are the psychological effects? – Found at American Psychological Association by Amy Novotney

Decades of research suggest hate crimes can lead to a wide range of mental health issues, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD

Article: School Social Workers: A Call to Action in Support of Human Rights

School social workers, especially amid increasing global extremism, must adopt an international human rights framework to champion the participation and protection of vulnerable and marginalized groups. This approach emphasizes intersectional, strengths-based, trauma-informed practice to address social context, reduce power imbalances, and support children's rights in the face of migration and discrimination.

Article: The role of social work in tackling hate crime – Found at Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice

Research Article: Hate crimes and social work: An international perspective by Daniel Pollack

Resources

Social Work’s Call to Action Against Pandemic Othering & Anti-Asian Racism -Found at Society for Social Work and Research

Find Out How Hate Crimes Can Be Prevented In Your Community -Found at United States Department of Justice

Mobilizing Against Hate Resource and Action Center - National Association of Social Workers

The resources on this page provide background information and action steps that can be taken to help us achieve ours goals of promoting safety, diversity, and inclusion, and promote the physical and emotional safety all members of society deserve.