Hate Crime Research Articles

Working "With" Not "On" Disabled People: The Role of Hate Crime Research within the Community.

For many disabled people, violence can become an unwanted, yet ordinary part of everyday life. Often, these crimes are attributed to understandings of disabled people as vulnerable and largely, passive victims. Attending to the aims of this special issue, this paper aims to dismantle these stereotypes and attend to the unique ways that disabled people can resist and respond to hate crime through creative and collaborative research practices. Building upon this, I argue that there is a pressing need for hate studies researchers to work "with" and not "on" those who have experienced targeted violence. Working in this way builds upon long-standing efforts of disabled activists and disabilities studies researchers to challenge reductive research practices by working in more collective and inclusive ways. To demonstrate this, I reflect upon a project working in partnership with disabled people to create a disability hate crime toolkit. The toolkit, now published, shares accessible and informative resources that can be used to raise awareness about disability hate crime. While the focus of this paper is disability, I consider methods of collaboration, co-production and participation that can be drawn upon by researchers to respond to hate crime and interpersonal violence more broadly.

Both‐Sideology Endangers Democracy and Social Science

AbstractIn social psychology these days it is commonplace to read or hear that liberal‐leftists and conservative‐rightists are every bit as “moral”; prejudiced and intolerant; susceptible to misinformation, “fake news,” and conspiratorial thinking; lax about upholding democratic standards; and prone to terrorism and political violence. Upon careful inspection, however, I conclude that every one of these claims is false or misleading. Liberal‐leftists in the United States and elsewhere are demonstrably more committed than conservative‐rightists to humanistic‐egalitarian values, deliberative reasoning, and adherence to democratic norms. In Western societies, acts of authoritarian aggression, hate crimes, and political violence are overwhelmingly more likely to come from the right than the left. As a witness to Nazi atrocities, Kurt Lewin deeply understood the role of historical, economic, and political forces in human lives and the interdependence between democracy and social science. He rejected moral relativism and what I call “both‐sideology” and offered a sophisticated critique of anti‐democratic tendencies. There are perfectly understandable reasons why people—especially academics and journalists—would be tempted to draw parallels between the left and right, and indeed there are many similarities as well as dissimilarities between liberal‐leftists and conservative‐rightists. However, the uncritical adoption of both‐sideology threatens liberal democracy itself and, with it, the only social science worth having. What we—as citizens and social scientists—need now is a renewal and revitalization of Lewin's critical‐emancipatory legacy before it is too late.

Hidden Hate, Hidden Violence: Dismantling Myths and Identifying Fresh Challenges for Research and Policy.

Hate crime has become an increasingly familiar term within global scholarship, with advancements in conceptual understanding and empirical knowledge helping to generate improved policy responses across many parts of the world. However, the continued demonization of 'other' identities, the escalating volume of hate incidents worldwide and the prevailing climate of rising tensions, decreasing resources and political de-prioritization all suggest that many urgent challenges remain. Contributors to this special issue have dismantled common stereotypes and misperceptions which hamper our collective capacity to address contemporary expressions of hate and violence. In doing so, they draw from their research evidence to identify "hidden" challenges which should be at the forefront of attempts to address the causes, effects, and prevention of all forms of violence. This call for reconfiguration is the unifying theme which runs through each article, and which paves the way for more nuanced analyses that offer new frameworks for responding to the diverse and changing patterns of violence. These are challenges which straddle disciplinary boundaries, geographical borders, and the physical/digital world, and which demand the international, intersectional, and interdisciplinary perspectives evident within this special issue.

Beyond the Binary: The Issue of Intra-Minority Hostility and the Need to Challenge Conventional Victim/Perpetrator Frameworks Within Hate Studies.

It is well-established within the hate studies literature that the majority of hate crimes and incidents of targeted hostility are perpetrated by those in the "majority" society. In the UK, academic and official research consistently shows that young White, British males are most commonly the culprits of all forms of targeted victimization, especially racist hate. However, urban areas of "super-diversity" offer researchers an opportunity to understand hate crime victimization and perpetration in a more nuanced and comprehensive way. Hate studies research has slowly begun to highlight instances of people from marginalized and stigmatized groups being targeted on the basis of their identity by individuals who are also members of minority groups, sometimes even the same minority group as the victim. Very little is understood about this particular victimizing dynamic other than it appears to be an attempt by minority group members to "fit in" by adopting what they perceive to be majority group values and attitudes. By drawing from 44 qualitative in-depth interviews exploring the experiences of new migrants and refugees and observations from 20 months of grassroots engagement, this article challenges established theories of "othering" that overwhelmingly refer to binary, static majority/minority tensions. The stories of these too-often "hidden" victims of targeted hostility offer a fresh perspective on the relationships between victims of hate and perpetrators. The article also contributes new explanations as to why those who are often targeted go on to target others.

Israel's Zangwill; or, The Return of the King of Schnorrers

Abstract This article explores Israel Zangwill's posthumous presence in Israeli culture, as reflected in various media and discursive arenas: press coverage of his death and Yahrzeits; trends in the translation, publication and staging of his works; the inauguration of streets bearing his name; and references to his views and legacy in various political debates. Demonstrating how the tensions and contradictions so typical of Zangwill's persona were interpreted by cultural commentators or appropriated by opposing political camps, the first part of the article traces and contextualises Zangwill's gradual disappearance from the Israeli cultural mainstream. The second part then moves on to consider Zangwill's unexpected comeback in 2021, when a musical production of The King of Schnorrers, adapted by Nati Brooks, was staged in Tel Aviv. While the renewed interest in Zangwill's work is rooted specifically in the playwright's Anglo-Jewish background, the production employs Zangwill's 1790s Jewish London to consider ethnic tensions in present-day Israel.

“Far East” Legacies and the Normalization of “Non-Ashkenazi” Histories in Israel

Abstract: How is a Sephardi-Mizrahi protest in Israel interconnected with a Western fascination with “Far East” civilization? This essay introduces The Jewish Communities in the Far East (Hebrew; Jerusalem, 1982), jointly published by key Zionist Sephardi organizations. Authored by Reuben Kashani, an Afghan-born intellectual who made significant contributions to various Sephardi-Mizrahi periodicals in Israel, alongside his broader Jewish readership, the book was designed to introduce East Asian cultures to Hebrew readers. This essay delves into the broader motivations behind the writing and publication of Kashani’s 1982 book. I conclude that he aimed to challenge stereotypes and the assumption that the modernization of Asian and African Jewries necessarily requires Ashkenazi guidance, and emphasize the pioneering spirit and international engagement of these communities. In so doing Kashani also aimed to counter Ashkenazi dominance in both Zionist and Jewish historiographies, following the longer legacy of Sephardi-Mizrahi intellectual activism in the twentieth century. This approach disrupts prevailing narratives emphasizing domestic ethnic tensions in Israel, fostering a more multilayered examination of intra-Jewish hierarchies.

Narratives and counter-narratives as ways of creating religious tolerance

This article explored the utilisation of counter-narratives in tertiary education settings with regard to pseudo-events connected to big world events. The occurrence that this article focused on was the pseudo-events connected to the Israel–Hamas war that started in October 2023. These pseudo-events refer to a surge in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate crimes in countries outside the warzone. Two narrative examples are given that can be utilised within education settings; however, educators can look beyond the given examples and utilise other counter-narratives. Creating awareness of surges in discriminatory occurrences with the use of counter-narratives may increase humanisation and intersectional awareness in students.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article was written from a religious studies perspective, with the aim of increasing religious tolerance within societies. This article is based on a quantitative literature review and narrative theories.

‘Doesn’t anyone care anymore?’ – Bystander intervention to hate crime

While previous studies have focused on bystander intervention, current understanding specifically in the area of bystander intervention to hate crime is limited. This study seeks to focus on bystander intervention to hate crime in the United Kingdom. This study utilised 10 semi-structure interviews with participants who had personally witnessed a hate crime incident, exploring reasons for intervention, or lack thereof. Results revealed that for some who intervened, the decision to do so often stemmed from an instinctive, impulsive place, whereas for others it was a calculative decision-making process. The findings also reveal that there are various factors which influence participants in deciding whether to intervene. Critically, while all factors were described as pivotal to influencing participants in choosing whether to intervene or remain bystanders, there was no hierarchy of factors which can be generalised. The study concludes that the decision to intervene is a complex multi-faceted process and promotes awareness-raising about the various options available when witnessing a hate crime.

Long-term trends in mental health disparities across sexual orientations in the UK: a longitudinal analysis (2010-2021).

In the context of increasing hate crimes, legislative challenges, and anti-LGBTQ + sentiment, we conducted the first study that comprehensively examined long-term mental health disparities across sexual orientations in the UK from 2010 to 2021. Prior studies predominantly relied on cross-sectional or limited longitudinal designs, thus failing to capture evolving trends over a decade and providing crucial insights into the dynamics of mental health challenges faced by sexual minorities, essential for devising targeted public health interventions and policies. Waves 2-12 of the UK Longitudinal Household Survey for adults (n = 52,591) were used. MCS-12 (Mental Health Component Scale of the Short-Form Health Survey) for mental functioning and GHQ (General Health Questionnaire) for psychological distress were included as the main outcomes, along with other measures of well-being. Mixed-effect longitudinal models were used to examine the trends of mental health disparities across sexual orientations. Relative to their heterosexual counterparts, psychological distress (GHQ) increased for gay men, lesbians, and women with "other" orientations. Bisexual women saw the steepest increase from 1.69 higher GHQ vs. their heterosexual counterparts in 2010 (95%CI: 0.81 to 2.57), up to 3.37 in 2021 (95%CI: 2.28 to 4.45). Similar trends were also shown in the other measures. The study highlights increases in mental health disparities between sexual minorities and heterosexuals. The escalating psychological distress among sexual minorities, particularly bisexual women, calls for an urgent, multi-faceted, and intersectoral response. This approach must address both symptoms and the social structures perpetuating these disparities across sexual orientations.

God and Group: The Religious Ecology of Hate Crimes Against Jews and Muslims in the United States

In the United States, hate crimes that are motivated by religious bias disproportionately impact minoritized religious groups. This study investigates religious ecological predictors of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims in the US, drawing on theories of religion and intergroup offending. Measures of areal religious composition and change are drawn from two waves of the US Religion Census. Multilevel logistic regression models predict incidence of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crimes across county-years (2010–2018), adjusting for law enforcement agency coverage, hate crime reporting, and social and political factors. Christian adherence and overall religious diversity are associated with lower incidence of anti-Jewish hate crime. Jewish and Muslim adherence are positively associated with anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crime, respectively, and counties undergoing relatively large increases in Muslim adherence have heightened incidence of anti-Muslim hate crime. Implications for theory and policy, as well as opportunities for future research, are discussed.

Understanding Racism and the Role of Identity Politics in Anti-Racism Movements in America

The matter of racism is a complex issue concerning various humanities problems such as inequality in human rights, unfair treatment and unequal access to material resources. This dilemma has existed in various multicultural communities, for example America, where racial diversity is directly proportional to racist crime, which is among the highest in the world. According to The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, the number of hate crimes with racial or ethnic-related motivation accounts for 60 percent of incidents occured in 2020 in Ameria. The fight against racial injustice is a challenging battle that demands long-term involvement and systematic change, starting from both the advocates and the community. Therefore, strategic goals and methods are essential to providing effective campaigns against racial discrimination. In this case, advocates and leaders must be aware of the challenges that lead to the ineffectiveness of current anti-racism movements and increase the quality of those advocating campaigns. Using qualitative methods, this research study seeks to answer that problem through the investigation of the origin and definition of racism with the aim of further understanding the issue and defining the cause of ethnic inequality. Moreover, analysis of different types of racism and colour-blind theories is also provided, which helps determine the outcome and long-term strategy for improved campaign organization. Combating against racism is a complex process that can only be influential if campaign leaders, politicians and activists come up with a productive and sustainable strategy that can oversee the ultimate goal of promoting race equality.

Predictive Influence of Proposed Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) on Communal Security in Ogun West Senatorial District, Nigeria

This study examines the predictive influence of the Nigerian government's Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) policy on communal security in the Ogun West senatorial district. Despite RUGA's aim to mitigate herder-farmer conflicts by establishing designated grazing areas, the policy faces significant opposition due to ethnic tensions, land use conflicts, and concerns about Fulani herder dominance. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 500 respondents across five local government districts in Ogun West. Quantitative analysis using regression models revealed that RUGA significantly impacts communal security (R = 0.728, R² = 0.530, p < 0.001), social harmony (B = 0.874, t = 25.537, p < 0.001), community engagement (B = 0.862, t = 29.741, p < 0.001), and ethnocentric, religious, and socioeconomic issues (B = 0.869, t = 29.278, p < 0.001). However, the policy does not significantly predict the readiness of nomads to settle (B = 0.032, p = 0.586) or the preparedness of local people to accept the scheme (B = 0.051, p = 0.366). These findings indicate that while RUGA has the potential to enhance social and community engagement outcomes, its success is hindered by the lack of readiness and acceptance among key stakeholders. The study recommends increased engagement and sensitization efforts to enhance nomads' readiness and local acceptance, ensuring the policy's successful implementation and contribution to inclusive economic development.

Teaching as Epistemic Mistrust

AbstractLong portrayed as a virtuous profession, teaching has always been embedded in notions of trust and trustworthiness. Alongside expectations of epistemic cultivation and development, is an implicit handing over of discretionary powers to ‘the trusted teacher’. At the height of #blacklivesmatter protests in 2020, however, high school learners all over South Africa took to social media—@yousilenceweamplify—to express their hurt and anger at their dehumanising experiences at some of the country’s leading schools. Their accounts not only exposed some schools as intense sites of racial, religious, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic tension and conflict, but shattered presumptions about ‘the trusted teacher’. Following a consideration of what trust infers, and the potential harms that arise from epistemic mistrust, the paper considers what might be gained from philosophical engagements in the espousal of teaching as a relationship of epistemic trust, and which ensures the flourishing of both learner and teacher? How might philosophy of education assist teacher education programmes in attuning students to an understanding that being trustworthy as teachers resides in self-knowledge as well as knowledge of the differences of, and among others?

Formation of Inter-Ethnic Solidarity of The Kazakhstani Society Based on The Implementation of The Multiculturalism Concept in The Student Environment

The article presents the results of a sociological study on the problem of modern inter-ethnic relations among students based on the concept of multiculturalism. The purpose of this study is to identify the attitudes of urban students towards the implementation of the ideology of multiculturalism, and the implementation of interethnic communication; to identify possible strategies for their behavior in a situation of interethnic tension and conflict in the context of the implemented state policy in the field of interethnic relations. The survey showed that Kazakhstani students have a high level of interethnic tolerance and are ready to enter into interethnic relations, which confirms the existence and implementation of the ideas of multiculturalism. The ideas of multiculturalism in the higher education system of Kazakhstan are implemented through various mechanisms that allow for preserving ethnic diversity and strengthening interethnic harmony, which contributes to the formation of interethnic solidarity in society.

Homophily in Interfaith Marriages in Israel Between Jewish Israeli Men and Arab Israeli Women

This study examines the perspectives of Israeli-Jewish men who are married to Israeli-Arab women. Given religious, ethnic, and political tensions and challenges, romantic relationships between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs are not common. The homophilic tendency is a common model used to choose a partner based on religious, social, linguistic and educational similarities. This study utilized interpretive phenomenological analysis approach to focus on a unique and rather rare phenomenon in Israel to understand the lived experiences and coping mechanisms of Jewish men who married Christian or Muslim women in Israel. Fifteen Israeli men married to Arab Muslim or Christian Israeli women were included interviewed. Based on the analysis of the findings, several themes were identified which describe how participants utilize a pragmatic approach to bridge family, social, religious and political tensions. These themes strengthen recent studies, which found a certain degree of flexibility toward homophily among Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Reimagining the Relationship Between Hate Crime and Terrorism: A Case Study of New Zealand

ABSTRACT The relationship between hate crimes and terrorism remains a significant policy and academic concern. We provide the first empirical exploration of this relationship in New Zealand, drawing upon an original dataset of right-wing violent extremist (RWVE) incidents between 1997 and 2022. Employing analytical models of escalation and reaction we find evidence of connectivity between hate crime and terrorism, indicating that the links between them have significance for threat assessments of RWVE. We argue that the “either/or” implications of the “close cousins-distant relatives” dichotomy in existing literature on hate crime-terrorism linkages is misleading and identify new dynamics relevant for examining this relationship and monitoring the potential for violent hate crime acting as a barometer for more extreme activity, including terrorism.

Unexpected judgments: the role of gender identity and provocation on blame and affect in a mock jury paradigm

IntroductionPanic defenses are a form of legal defense positing that a defendant is less culpable for their crime because of an extreme emotional reaction. However, limited research has examined the use of panic defenses when the victim is a transgender individual.MethodsIn two studies (Total N = 995) previously existing scales and vignettes were used to evaluate perceptions of panic defenses when the victim was a transgender woman, transgender man, or a gay man. Study 1 (N = 557) used a 2 (sexual provocation or non-sexual provocation) x 3 (transgender woman, transgender man, or gay man victim) design to evaluate perceptions of victim blame, negative affect, and perception that the crime was a hate crime.ResultsContrary to demographic data trends, Study 1 found that transgender women were rated more positively as victims, were blamed less than transgender men or gay men, and that the crime was more likely to be labeled as a hate crime. Study 2 (N = 438) was a replication of Study 1. While the results were largely non-significant, the trend in means was in the same direction as the findings of Study 1.DiscussionWe argue that these findings, despite not being in line with broader data on the topic, are important evidence that anti-transgender research, particularly in mock jury settings, may need to reimagine existing designs and vignettes to understand rates of violence and discrimination toward transgender communities.

Political struggle of Malaysia and Islam: moderating and radicalizing the state, society, and religion alternately (1957–2023)

This research explores Malaysia’s post-independence interaction between the government, civil society, and Islam, the majority religion in the nation. Many predicted that Islam would cause social and economic deterioration when Malaya gained independence from the British in 1957. The constitution declares Islam to be the official state religion, but it also guarantees non-Muslims the right to practice their faith freely and without hindrance. Since then, the state has continued to be in charge of everything related to religion, and Malaysia has been praised for many years as a haven of moderate Islam. However, for a variety of reasons, hate inspired by religion has grown more common and well-liked in Malaysia over the past several years. This research highlights the causes of the rise in hate crimes and the fall of Malaysia’s once-moderate form of Islam. It suggests that rather than attributing the radicalization of Malaysian Muslims to localized issues at the regional and national levels, it should be assessed in light of contemporary geopolitics and its implications for the welfare of the Muslim world. The study suggests that some of the best strategies for combating extremism and avoiding radicalization include ensuring that individuals’ rights are upheld and implementing good government.

The complexity of religious land use: Mosques, titling and informality in China (1949–2023)

In considering complex human-land systems, the land use and planning for places of worship is perhaps not an issue that may first come to mind. Simultaneously, however, it has become an increasingly critical and researched topic due to rising ethnic and cultural tensions in the West. Contrarily, the topic is virtually terra incognita for the Chinese context. This article aims to make up for that shortfall, and examines the way how the space for religious sites in China is acquired, planned and governed. It focuses on one of the more prominent places of worships often contested in the West: the mosque, and particularly those belonging to the Hui minority. The study relies on surveys, in-depth interviews, participant observation and rare documents hitherto unavailable in English, such as (informal) contracts, ownership titles, and historical court rulings. A dual finding is reported: 1) over time, the Chinese state’s envisioned ownership for religious property in general, and Islamic property in particular, has evolved into common property slightly comparable to condominium; 2) despite stated intentions to formalize religious planning, mosques’ land use has remained largely informal. Markedly, local planning authorities continue upholding a grey zone in which Hui Muslim sites of worship are tacitly condoned. Although there are caveats, this “tolerance of informality” offers leeway for religious praxis while providing space to a revolutionary past of complex, contested and convoluted property rights.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within Ireland’s Police Service, An Garda Síochána: Bridging the Gap between Commitments and Reality

Abstract The Black Lives Matter movement highlighted the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in a policing context. Using the Irish police service, An Garda Síochána, as a case study, this article critically evaluates efforts to promote EDI within a policing organization that has been characterized as resistant to change. It focuses primarily on the implementation of relevant recommendations contained in the landmark 2018 Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. It demonstrates that while building a culture that respects and promotes EDI within any organization is a challenging process, it can be even more difficult in policing organizations due to police sub-culture. It submits that laws, policies and commitments, while necessary, are insufficient of themselves to achieve transformative change. Strong and committed leadership is also required, as well as measures to recruit and retain a diverse workforce at all levels, sufficient resourcing for EDI initiatives, EDI training that accords with international best practice, efforts to improve relationships with marginalized communities, measures to combat hate crime and racial profiling, effective mechanisms for collecting EDI data and evaluating EDI policies, and a robust governance, oversight and accountability framework. While identifying and welcoming measures undertaken to date by An Garda Síochána to convert EDI policy commitments into reality, the article also highlights areas where improvements are necessary. Finally, aligning with several theorists of police sub-culture, the article concludes that any efforts to promote EDI within An Garda Síochána will need to be accompanied by efforts to combat structural inequality in wider society.