Hate Crime Data Collection Systems

Abstract

This chapter is a review of data collection systems that measure hate crime at a national level. We discuss how hate crime is measured by the UCR Hate Crime Statistics Program and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the two primary sources for hate crime statistics, and we include the School Crime Supplement (SCS), the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), and the Campus Safety and Security (CSS) reporting system, which measure hate crimes nationally for educational environments. The history of each data collection system is presented respective to the measurement of hate crime. We show how each system defines and operationalizes hate crime, with particular attention given to which bias motivations and criminal offenses are included in the measurement process. Furthermore, we note any important changes to these data collections systems that can impact the measurement of hate crime. Our discussion in this chapter identifies those systems that collect hate crime data in this country, outlining how each measures hate crime, but more importantly, showing how each system measures hate crime differently.