The paper first defines and presents facts about hate crimes. Information is provided on various types of hate crimes, and the prevalence of hate crimes by youth ages 15 to 24 is noted. The second section of the paper emphasizes the importance of increasing youths' respect for diversity while reducing their intolerance toward people different from themselves. This involves working with teens to help them reject stereotypes applied to groups of people. Youths should be guided to examine the stereotypes they hold of groups of the same race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, or disability. They should then be encouraged to examine how they have felt when they were treated badly or with disrespect because of a physical trait or stereotypical view of their character. The discussion should then focus on ways in which youth can not only reach out to those different from themselves but also learn from them because of their differences. The paper lists ways in which youth can do this, both in personal relationships and in school and community activities. One suggestion is to encourage juvenile justice agencies to adopt offender intervention and diversion programs for youth who commit hate crimes. 11 resources and 3 references