Abstract

Hate crime is any offense in which some aspect of the victim's identity – their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or transgender identity – plays a role in their victimization. There are different categories of offense, ranging from a hate incident, which may include verbal abuse, threats of violence, bullying, and intimidation all the way through to a hate crime, which could include actual assault, criminal damage, hate mail, and even murder. This range of offenses is covered already under existing laws in the United States and the United Kingdom; however, if an incident is regarded as a hate crime, then an enhanced penalty can be applied to the police charge, which involves a more severe sentence if found guilty. Hate crime is regarded as a symbolic crime in that it is viewed as not only perpetrated against the individual victim but also as an act which intimidates and subjugates members of the wider community. This entry examines the key debates and issues relating to hate crime legislation.

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