Where do we go from here? Researching hate crime

Abstract

This paper identifies several strangely neglected areas of hate crime scholarship, including the lack of critical reflection on the usefulness of the term “hate crime” as a descriptor of bias motivated behavior. Concerning measurement issues, concepts and causes, hate groups, responses to hate crimes and comparative scholarship, there are many gaps in our knowledge that are avenues for further enquiry. In particular, we have failed to examine the specificity of the bias crime experiences of diverse victim groups. Moreover, rather than accept broad recording and research categories, there is a need to examine the range of offending, type of offender and impact upon society as a whole as well as upon different victim groups such as asylum seekers, travelers, South Asians, East Asians, Jews, African Caribbean and Nigerian peoples. While highlighting the need for research to inquire into discreet areas of victimization, agencies, social groups and other organizations must also recognize their shared objectives and combine their strengths to implement initiatives, evaluate impact and inform policy with an aim to reduce the incidence and prevalence of hate crimes.