Guest Author - Stephanie K. Ferguson What is a hate crime? A
hate crime is a crime committed against a person or property
which is motivated by an individualís dislike of a race,
religion, ethnic/national origin, group, or sexual orientation.
Hate crimes as also know as bias crimes. The term entered our
nationís common vocabulary in the 1980s when various groups in
the US began waves of bias-related crimes. What does hate crime
look like? Hate crimes encompass many actions/behaviors such as:
~ physical or verbal assault ~ ritualistic abuse; and/or ~ sex
crimes. Groups of people or individuals who hold specific often
stereotypic beliefs often look for action by preying on others.
The crimes they commit are typically directed at someoneís race,
religion, group, ethnic/national origin, or sexual orientation.
They often target public buildings or property. Hate crime
statistics According to the FBI, in 2006 over 7,700 incidents
were reported to be motivated by religious, race/ethnic, sexual
orientation, or physic