Corrosive Nature Of Hate Crimes

Introduction

“Throughout U.S history, there have been a significant amount of crimes such as murders, assaults, vandalism, and desecration which have been fueled by hatred” (Deloughery & King, 2012). It is described in some studies that the first hate crime victims were Native Americans, which argues the fact that hate crimes have existed since the birth of the U.S. Hate crimes are often referred to as discrimination crimes or bias crimes. However, before getting into the details, it is very important to understand the true definition of hate crime although it may have several definitions. Hate crimes are offenses based on the disability, race, color, sexuality, nationality, religion, gender, or values of the victim (Deloughery & King, 2012).

Proponents of hate crime laws describe it’s necessity because of the “corrosive nature” of hate crimes (Gills & Cogan, 1999). In other words, they feel that there is evidence that hate crimes tend to be more violent in nature compared to “non-biased” crime. Over the years, hate crime laws and policies were formed to deter individuals from committing bias crimes. However, there are have also been arguments against the formation of hate crime laws. Many individuals believed that hate crimes is an issue exaggerated by the media to instigate public and disturb social norm. “Hate crime laws infringe upon freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and further the problem of identity politics” (Shively, 2005). Opponents argue that the freedom of speech is jeopardized by way that crime is based on “hate motive” expressed through forms of communication. “Motive can be determined in forms of communication whether be expressive, symbolic, written, or verbal” (Dunbar, Quinones, & Crevecoeur, 2005). However, the decision in Wisconsin v. Mitchell (1993) (Oyez.org), concluded that policies and statutes against hate crimes does not threaten or interfere with the freedom of

This theory suggests that the values, beliefs, and attitudes of an individual of a certain group are learned and influenced by specific persons such as peers, parents, church ministers, and teachers. “According to social learning theory, the attitudes of parents profoundly affect a child’s prejudice, as a child grows up listening to those views” (NIJ.org). This theory has explained a lot beliefs and matters that influence young adults in surveys. The parents of a child are his or her first teachers. The significance of that influence is great and will almost never fade in some situation. Also, early influencing figures such as church pastors or grandparents also instill views that may shape the way a certain person may feel about an