The Historical Facts about Hate Crime in America The Social Worker’s Role in Victim Recovery and Community Restoration

Abstract

Attitudes and belief systems associated with social intolerance and racial bigotry have been part of American society for generations. Analysis of historical records reveals a number of examples of how these social forces have shaped society’s reaction to those they consider to be not part of the mainstream culture. A review of research documented in the literature on social psychology indicates that individuals who hold strong prejudicial beliefs about others based solely on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ancestry often express those feelings in ways that lead to the commission of criminal acts known as hate crimes. The proliferation of hate crime in the United States represents a major social problem that has reached new heights since the 2016 election. The promotion of anti-diversity rhetoric by President Trump and his Republican administration has fueled a stronger, more empowered White nationalist movement in this country whose racist ideology has inspired an uptick in violent attacks against those they consider a threat to the American way of life. Substantial evidence of the rise of bias-related crimes against individuals that are members of racial, ethnic, religious, and sexual minority groups targeted by the administration’s hate campaign can be found in statistics from national surveys that indicate that since the election, the frequency of these type of attacks has more than doubled across the nation. The beating of a Black man at a public rally in Charlottesville, Virginia by White nationalists in August 2017 and the mass shooting that took place at a gay Latino nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016 are just two examples of what has become an expanding national trend of hate violence against marginalized groups in our society that are perceived as outsiders. This article presents an analysis of the history of bias-motivated crime in the United States and the national response to this type of criminal behavior. It discusses the psychological and social impact of these crimes on victims, communities, and society. It examines how social workers can implement the intervention techniques of the restorative justice model to help those affected rebuild their lives and communities in the aftermath of crime precipitated by hate.