Hate Crimes - Causes, Effects, and Recommendations - Essay Example

?Hate Crimes: Causes, Effects & Recommendations The increase in crimes has ended up creating difficulties for the society. Hate crimes are one of theprevalent kinds of crimes in many cities throughout the United States which are creating chaos, fear and terror among the people. Hate crimes are generally committed against a particular group or class of people like those belonging to a particular race, ethnic class, gender, religion, social status etc. The study of hate crimes and its understanding is important for the complex nature of those crimes and the psychological conflicts which result in those behaviors of the individuals involved in those crimes. The younger generation is more likely to involve in hate crimes. They may be classified as thrill seekers who attempt hate crimes in order to get pleasure. Individual may also commit such crimes to defend their communities and territories. A white perpetrator of hate crimes is more likely to adopt violent, aggressive and biased behaviors against blacks and other ethnic groups as they feel insecure and suspect those groups to steal their housing spaces, jobs and share facilities which belong to them being domestic civilians (Chakraborti & Garland 2009, pp. 138-139). A typical person who commits hate crimes may also belong to the minority group living in a diversified society like America. Minority groups often feel prejudiced or discriminated by other members of the society. This discriminating behavior leads to minority groups’ resentment and discomfort which leads to violent and antisocial behaviors. Since hate crimes are not committed for one particular reason, the targets or victims of such crimes are also not identifiable by a fixed categorization technique. Hate crimes may be against a particular ethnic group, social group, political group, gender, religion, social class and so on. Hate crimes can be committed against people belonging to different categories. People may be categorized according to their profession, age, gender, social class etc. Hence, the identification of hate crimes is a difficult task as it requires an in depth information of the victim or target before categorizing it according to any trait or characteristic that a victim/targeted person holds (Bassette & Salem 1996, pp. 362-363). Crimes are often originated due to psychological distress, conflicts and disagreements in a society. The hate crimes are also associated with the inconsistencies on social, economic, political, religious and financial grounds. The unprivileged groups or individuals develop resentment and hatred against the privileged groups. Discrimination and bias on any grounds can develop the feelings of discontent and disagreements with other groups. Racial and ethnic bias due to increased population of a particular race or ethnicity may result in hate crimes. Legal and regulatory changes for disabled population, particular sexual groups, different religious groups, specific culture, ethnically diverse groups and others create negative thoughts and behaviors among people of one group for the other (Perry 2003, pp. 284-289). These behaviors and negative interpretation of the changes in laws and regulations provoke them to commit hate crimes. Economic factors including unemployment, increased competition, unavailability of resources and lack of competence also encourage hate crimes against those who are employed, have ample resources, skills and qualifications. If a particular racial group is given opportunities to get higher grade jobs while others are not, the biased distribution of opportunities would encourage hatred, harassment and negative reactions by other racial groups. In short, most of the hate crimes result due to prejudice, bias or personal hatred related to a particular person, ethnic group, race, gender or religion. Education is the first and most efficient manner of reducing crimes of any type. The education about crimes, their effects and possible outcomes for the perpetrator and the society would help in reducing the crime rates. Hate crimes are a bit difficult to handle as a perpetrator and a victim may or may not be familiar with each other. Therefore, the possibility of seeking help from governmental agencies or securities is difficult without knowing the potential occurrence of hate crimes from a ‘stranger’. In order to minimize hate crimes there is a need to design and implement laws and regulations which provide ample space to each group for the security and independence of their rights and values. The laws should not be inclined towards any particular category which may encourage hate crimes. The independence to practice ones religion, values, culture and rights should be incorporated in the laws with less or no indication of groups. Moreover, victim-assistance agencies and awareness programs should be implemented in order to educate people about their rights and obligations when they experience or observe hate crimes. Moral education should be a part of all educational campaigns in order to avoid hatred and develop respect and tolerance among people (Kurtz & Turpin 1999, p. 99). An unbiased and unprejudiced environment should be provided to all groups including the minority groups and women in all fields of life. Such practices would ensure a just environment and may help in reducing hate crimes and negative reactions in the diversified society. Social Class The mode of dressing is the first physical trait that I would consider when assessing a person’s social class. The way a person dresses exposes his social class, religions, cultural background and status (Davis 1994, pp. 57-60). The way of dressing and the style of carrying that particular attire show the economic status, manners and social background of a person. In an attempt to asses a person’s class by physical appearance it would be helpful to gain some knowledge about his family’s profession. The family profession or nature of business they owe would be helpful in sketching a broad view picture of their standards of living. The question that I would ask would be about his family’s career choice or business nature. Some professional careers require more finances to attain appropriate qualifications. Hence, certain professions like health specialists, pilots, scientists etc. require degrees which require higher investment in the educational fields (St. John 2009, p. 9). An insight about a person’s profession, qualification or career would be, hence, helpful in gaining knowledge about his/her social class. There are certain physical traits which help in determining a person’s social class. These include the way a person dresses up, the attires he/she chooses, the body language, the way he presents himself, communications skills and way of speaking. All these traits and others provide a basic insight on a person’s family background, the dress-up provide details about his social class, religious background, cultural history and personal choices. Hence, physical appearance carries an important position in exposing a person’s background and social class. Bibliography: Bessette, J. M., & Salem Press. (1996). American justice: Volume II. Ready reference. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press. Chakraborti, N., & Garland, J. (2009). Hate crime: Impact, causes and responses. Los Angeles: SAGE. Davis, F. (1994). Fashion, culture, and identity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Kurtz, L. R., & Turpin, J. E. (1999). Encyclopedia of violence, peace & conflict. San Diego: Academic Press. Perry, B. (2003). Hate and bias crime: A reader. New York: Routledge. St, J. E. P. (2009). College organization and professional development: Integrating moral reasoning and reflective practice. New York: Routledge. Read More