Hate Crime


Definition of Hate Crime

A hate crime is a prejudice or hostility motivated crime committed against an individual or group of individuals due to various factors. These factors include religion, sexual orientation, language, skin color, age, disability, ethnicity, etc.



Hate Crime Explained

Crimes committed against someone because of a bias are generally referred to as hate crimes. The reason for that bias can be any of the reasons cited above or their derivatives. Hate crime incidents include but are not restricted to verbal abuse, property damage, insults, physical assault, hate mail, and offensive graffiti. In the United States, hate crime laws go back to 1871 when the Civil Rights Act was passed. At the state level, the first hate crime statute was passed in California in 1978. As of 2014, 45 states and the District of Columbia have statutes that criminalize hate crimes.





Articles related to Criminal Law