Hate and Bias Crimes
Nine thousand, seven hundred and twenty-six (9726) incidents
of hate and bias crime were reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in
2001 involving 11,447 separate offenses, 12,016 victims, and 9,231
known offenders. (Federal Bureau of Investigation.
2002. Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports, 2001.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice.)
In 2001, there were 481 anti-Islamic hate crimes reported to the
FBI, an alarming increase over the 28 incidents reported in 2000. (Ibid).
Of the 9,726 incidents of hate and bias reported to the FBI, 44.9
percent were of racial bias; 21.5 percent were bias based on ethnicity
or nationality; 18.8 percent were bias on religious preference;
and 14.3 percent were for sexual orientation. Intimidation is the
most frequent kind of hate bias crime, followed by destruction
of property. (Ibid.)
The majority of perpetrators of hate and bias crime are white (65.5
percent) followed by African-American (20.4
percent). The remainder are of other races, mixed race
or their race is unknown. (Ibid.)
Twelve percent of students between the ages of 12 and 18 reported
that they had been the subjects of hate-related insults at school
during the 6 months prior to a 2001 survey. Insults included comments
about their race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender and/or
sexual orientation. (Bureau of Justice Statistics.
November 2002. Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2002.
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice.)
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) reported
an overall decease in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender hate
and bias crime, down from 2135 in 2000 to 1887 in 2001. The number
of perpetrators was down from 3472 in 2000 to 2925 in 2001, and
the number of victims was down from 2522 in 2000 to 2210 in 2001. (Patton,
C. 2002. Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Violence in 2001. New York. National Coalition of Anti-Violence
Programs.)
NCAVP received reports of 11 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
hate and bias murders; 82 rapes and sexual assaults; 732 assaults;
82 robberies; 141 acts of vandalism; 737 intimidations; and 1142
verbal harassments. (Ibid.)
There has been a 1700 percent increase in reported hate and bias
crimes against Arabs, Muslims and those perceived to be Arab or
Muslim since the events of September 11, 2001. (Human
Rights Watch. November 2002. "We Are Not the Enemy: Hate Crimes
Against Arabs, Muslims, and Those Perceived to be Arabs and Muslims
After September 11." Human Rights Watch. Vol. 14.[6])
At least 3 individuals were murdered and likely 4 more were murdered
after September 11 as a result of Anti-Arab backlash. (Ibid.)
Within 6 months of the event of September 11, the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) had
received reports of 600 violent incidents directed against Arab-Americans
in the United States including acts of physical violence, vandalism,
arson, beatings, and assault with weapons, and direct threats of
specific acts of violence. (American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee. March 2002. ADC Fact Sheet: The Condition of Arab-Americans
Post 9/11. Washington, DC. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee.)
Forty-five cases of beatings, harassment, threats, and vandalism
were reported in the six months following the attacks on September
11 against Arab-American students in elementary, high schools and
universities in the United States. (Ibid.)
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| National Crime Victims' Rights
Week: Fulfill the Promise |
April 6–12, 2003 |
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