Hate crimes are often committed by those who harbor a deep-seated prejudice against a specific group of people or those who identify differently from themselves. Recently, according to a report by the FBI, hate crime rates have risen since 2018. When examining what types of crime are most prevalent, the most common behavioral trends observed are committed against African Americans, crimes based on religion and committed against those identifying as LGBTQ+. The increasing trend is concerning and should be paid more attention to because it affects the attitudes and actions of the future society. Hate crimes are rising because it is proportional to society’s global issues involving racism, homophobia and racial bias.
Although it is apparent which groups are targeted the most by hate crimes, understanding the impact, and causes of this phenomenon requires a deeper understanding and analysis of this pattern. In Texas, a Black student was suspended for his hairstyle because the mere act of self-expression set off an unjust reaction by the school faculty. In addition, since the start of the pandemic, there has been an increase in activism and vocalization for people’s rights.
This can be seen in increased activism related to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement. According to the BLM organization, 2020 was a record-breaking year for fundraising. As people become more forward in advocating for topics such as fighting systematic racism, LGBTQ+ rights and combating religious discrimination, those with close-minded ideologies begin to act and speak out on their opposing views as well. However, these opposing views ended up creating an increase in conflict and tension.
In addition to the racial hate crimes, LGBTQ+ individuals have been a major target with the setting on fire of pride flags to attempts at vehicular harm. Along with LGBTQ+ and racial hate crimes, there have been religious-based hate crimes, too. The growing hatred of racist and homophobic ideologies is festering and increasing because there are not enough systemic changes being made.
Furthermore, schools have become a common location for these crimes to occur. The climbing number of hate crimes in elementary or secondary schools creates an unsafe learning environment that warrants extra caution due to the impressionability of young minds. Still, in their formative years, children are most susceptible to suggestions, making it easier to absorb different views from them. The increased coverage of injustice and other hate crimes in the media could be influencing the increase in hate crimes at school. Social media’s influence on students is a powerful tool that can be used to perpetuate a cycle of hate from the content a student absorbs. With the increased usage of social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram, news is spread like wildfire. The ability for people to access a mass amount of information and people at their fingertips opens up a world of possibilities for people to adopt the views they learn about online.
Over time, society has grown to protect its right to free speech and thinking, but some use this to justify their wrongdoings and biases. According to social scientist Jack McDevitt, after examining multiple hate crime cases, he concluded that “many hate-crime offenders believe that society supports their violent prejudices.”
The future of society lies in how people treat one another. With the increase in hate crimes, there is ample evidence to cause concern for people’s general safety. When hate is left unchecked, it grows and becomes more powerful. Until there are policies and conscious efforts made to fight the impact of harmful stereotypes that contribute to hate crimes, these crimes will continue to climb. Without new attitudes and policies to replace the ones that incite violence, as generations progress, the world will become a more dangerous place to live. Bringing attention to a problem is the first step in beginning to solve it.
