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Ethnoviolence on Campus: The UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County) Study

NCJ Number
117976
Author(s)
H J Ehrlich; F L Pincus; C Morton
Date Published
1987
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This report on the survey of student experiences of ethnoviolence on the campus of the University of Maryland Baltimore County during the 1986-87 school year focuses on the nature of student victimization and its aftermath as well as on student perceptions and attitudes.
Abstract
Questionnaires were administered in 12 classrooms, yielding 347 completed questionnaires as the basis for this analysis. An ethnoviolent act was defined as one in which "the actor is motivated by ethnic, religious, or racial prejudice and the action taken inflicts, or is intended to inflict, physical or psychological injury on another person." Thirty-five students reported they had been victimized by an ethnoviolent act during the school year. There were no significant differences in the rate of incidents experienced by the various ethnic groups represented. Most of the experiences involved being called derogatory ethnic names or being otherwise insulted in a manner that pertained to their ethnicity. Most black students viewed discrimination as a problem on campus, and they expected the problem to follow them after graduation. Most white students did not recognize discrimination as a problem. Jewish students were more likely than other white students to identify discrimination against blacks as a problem. 4 tables, questionnaire, codebook.