Abstract
ABSTRACT The popular press and many of those who write and speak on the topic of hate crime suggest that hate crime has become an “epidemic.” Such claims are often based on anecdotal information and images of hate crime instilled in the public's collective conscience through media accounts. This research attempts to shed light on this issue through an examination of official bias crime statistics. While it is true that bias crime statistics on a national level tabulated by the Uniform Crime Reports consist of only “reported” offenses, the data is the most comprehensive effort undertaken to measure the number of hate crimes within the United States. With eight full years of data from 1991 through 1998, this study investigates the “epidemic hypothesis”. This hypothesis suggests that hate crimes in recent years have increased dramatically. The findings do not support the hypothesis that hate crimes have increased during the data analysis period. Thus, the findings debunk the popular social construction of the hate crime problem as promulgated by the media, politicians, and some academics.
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