Hate Crimes- Legal Definitions and Responses

Any crime motivated by prejudice against a certain social group that targets an individual or piece of property is considered a hate crime. Prejudice may stem from national origin, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, handicap, or gender identity or expression. Vandalism, intimidation, physical attack, and murder are some examples of hate crimes. They are frequently carried out with the intention of frightening both the victim and their neighbourhood. Hate crimes are grave offence that can cause victims and their families great suffering. Additionally, they have the power to instill fear and terror throughout whole communities.

Hate Crimes may also be the smallest of the crimes if they are specifically targeted towards a particular protected or no protected class of people. It can be seen in the social discrimination in Africa pertaining to the Apartheid movement of separation which gave the colonials a chance to divide people and discriminate them on the basis of colour. Where there were different schools,seats,jobs, etc for racially black people in those areas. And it can still be seen in the police brutality and racial profiling in the United State of America regarding the African American people residing there. There have been cases of online ragging on basis of sexuality preferences where people belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community have been constantly trolled and even threatened on the various social media platforms.

These are just some of the heartbreaking examples that we still see in a civilized society today. Since most of the hate crimes are terrible crimes, they always have a lasting impact on the people involved in such crimes and the people around them watching such crimes happen. Their enduring causes are many and have their roots in social problems. This affects the society at large like any crime does. It takes away the right to live with liberty and dignity which is the most human right. The mental,physical,economical and social impact of event the smallest of these crimes become grave and horrifying. Some of the reasons of these crimes still existing are -

Prejudice and Discrimination: Prejudices existing for long and biases are frequently the main cause of hate crimes. These unfavourable assumptions which may or may not be true about large groups of people might be stoked by rivalry for resources, fear of the unknown, or stereotypes. Hate crimes increase when these preconceptions are manifested via discriminatory behaviour at large. Such public behaviour is very influential and can lead to an increase in these crimes and people follow who leads them and in cases of very common prejudices that are conceived as facts, people do not stop to reason and use logic as to if such behaviour must be stopped to continued.

Socialization and Upbringing: It is regrettable that discrimination might be inherited by future generations. People who are raised in settings that condone or even promote intolerance are more prone to hold such divisive beliefs. They are raised to believe in a long drawn rumour which is misinterpreted as the truth.

Power dynamics and thrill-seeking: Sadly, some hate crimes are also motivated by a need for power or excitement. These criminals frequently have no personal relationship to the people they target, but treating it as a game of power they choose to prey on them because of their perceived weakness. It does give a false sense of validation that is very common among bullies but that is all what it is. It is unfortunate that such people still exist who are involved in this power grab and are tainting the societies with their ideas.

Increase in Hate Speech: If hate speech is allowed to go unchecked, it creates an environment where such opinions are not only accepted and also blanketed under the freedom of speech and expression. Because of this public validation and acceptance of such opinions, the people never have a chance to rectify their mistakes. They believe what they are doing is correct and drown out the criticism or even the law out in the noise of the applauds.

These crimes have increased overtime but with every new milestone in the society and every time a new class of people accept themselves and try to find acceptance in the world, there is always a group of people that is ready to stand against them. We as the younger and more open generation have the duty to not let this cycle of hate and violence continue. It is on us to put a stop to such offence even if it the a smaller offence in the name of law but the mens rea or the intention is to target such groups at a large and make a huge public exhibition of these sensitive issues. We must not let the people instill a sense of fear and unsafe environment for such vulnerable groups and spread awareness regarding their plight so that more hands and younger minds can join this fight.

The ‘live and let live’ idea must prevail in asking for acceptance for everyone who is just trying to make a life for themselves and be happy in society. These crimes usually are followed by many public outrage and various movements in favour of the victims. The social media was in an uproar during the ‘Black Lives Matter’ which ensured maximum reach and participation. So even after such crimes take place, there is still a silver lining where the people behind their phones are tweeting and posting against such crimes showing that such behaviour will not be tolerated.

I would like to conclude by placing this huge responsibility on the young and capable shoulders of this generation to ensure that such crimes are not a part of our society anymore but rather a part of our History. It is important for us to understand and analyze the root cause of such issues and put an end to it. There is already too much hate in the world to be going out and looking for more.