TOPICS: Hate Crimes
ISSUE: Society
OPINIONS
SUPPORTING ARGUMENT
VISUAL
news http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85f0033m/85f0033m2008017-eng.pdf There are two different data sources used to measure the incidence and characteristics of hate-motivated crime in Canada. The UCR Survey reflects the amount of crime that is reported to, substantiated by, and deemed by police to be motivated by hatred toward a specific group. The GSS gathers self-reported victimization data from Canadians who have been victimized by a crime and asking them if they believe the incident had been motivated by hate.
The results from each of these surveys show many commonalities, but also some major differences. Both surveys report that the majority of hate crimes are motivated by race/ethnicity and that the highest rates of victimization are against young people. The most notable difference between the police-reported data and the victimization data pertains to the volume of offences, with the number of incidents substantially higher when self-reported by victims. Both data sources; however, indicate that hate-motivated crime, as a proportion of overall crime, is relatively low.
hate crime controversy
What is a hate crime? a hate crime is committed to intimidate, harm or terrify not only a person, but an entire group of people to which the victim belongs. The victims are targeted for who they are, not because of anything they have done.
A hate crime is one in which hate is the motive and can involve intimidation, harassment, physical force or threat of physical force against a person, a group or a property