Part 1:
Hate Crime on the Rise

Hate crimes in California increased 11.2 percent from 837 hate instances in 2015 to 931 in 2016, according to the California Department of Justice. 

Between 2007 and 2016, the total number of hate crime events has decreased 34.7 percent. 

We talked with experts in psychology and law enforcement, and a few eye witnesses to hate crimes, to try and understand this increase. 

Which Bay Area counties are experiencing the largest increase in hate crimes?

What, exactly, is a hate crime?

  • LEGAL DEFINITION
    according to the FBI

    A hate crime is “a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”

    The FBI notes that "Hate itself is not a crime."

    Learn more.

  • psychology
    According to the American Psychological Association

    "Hate crimes are any felony or violent crime based on prejudice against a particular group. They are prejudice’s most extreme expression. Compared to other crimes, hate crimes have a broader impact on victims and communities because they target core aspects of identity."
                                                                                 
    Learn more.

  • advocacy
    According to the San Francisco Coalition Against Hate Violence (CAHV)

    A hate crime is defined as "any criminal act or attempted criminal act directed against a person(s), public agency, or private institution based on a victim’s actual or perceived race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender. A hate crime includes an act that results in: injury, however slight; a verbal threat of violence that can apparently be carried out; an act that results in property damage; and/or criminal acts directed against a public or private agency."

    Learn more.

  • A hate crime is not...
    ACCORDING TO THE SAN FRANCISCO COALITION AGAINST HATE VIOLENCE (CAHV)

    A hate incident, which is separate from a hate crime, is defined as "any non-criminal act, including words, directed against a person(s) based on that person(s) actual or perceived race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability or gender. Hate incidents include, but are not limited to, epithets, distribution of hate material that does not result in property damage, and the display of offensive material on one’s own property. Not all incidents of hatred are crimes. Verbal name calling, although offensive, is not a crime. For this to be a crime, it must be accompanied by a viable threat of violence and ability to carry the threat out. In order to categorize this as a hate crime, the crime committed against the victim must be in whole or in part prejudice-based."

    Learn more.

Part 2:
A Really Divisive Time

Experts predict that the increase in hate crimes is tied in some way to the divisive political climate that we're experiencing right now, but it's hard to understand exactly how the times influence behaviour. 

What groups are most often victimized by hate crimes?

What kind of person commits a hate crime?
offender typology
explained by dr. Gerstenfeld

  • The casual offenders

    Although the research about hate crime offenders is few and far between, Dr. Phyllis B. Gerstenfeld helped us understand a few of the most common "types" of hate crime offender that she's experienced throughout her 25 years of research.

    The vast majority of offenders, according to Dr. Gerstenfeld, belong to a "casual, ordinary" typography. These offenders, who are nearly always men, do not belong to hate groups, often have no criminal or violent history, and are not often acting politically when they hatefully target their victim(s). These offenders are typically among a group of friends during the incident, which often is unplanned and happens in a "spur of the moment." These crimes often serve as a way to show off, impress, or prove themselves to a group of (usually male) friends. This type of offender is motivated by a subconscious desire to validate their own masculinity and status among a group, rather than by hateful biases or political ideologies.

  • Hate Groups

    Members of hate groups are more easily recognizable when they commit hate crimes, but in reality, make up a very small fraction of recorded offenders.

    Like the "casual offender," Dr. Gerstenfeld predicts that hate group members are mostly motivated by a toxic relationship to masculinity, in combination with a desperate need to feel accepted, find social benefits, and be validated by a like-minded community. However, for many hate group members, there is an added layer of political indoctrination, fueled by a desire for power, that drives them to commit these crimes.

    "It’s no question that there is a power play involved," said Dr. Gerstenfeld. "It’s not a coincidence that many groups identify as part of the 'White Power' movement. Masculinity and power are often thought of as one in the same.”

    Studies have shown that people rarely leave hate groups until they find acceptance and connection to their communities in other ways. Dr. Gerstenfeld says that the most common reason she's seen that men leave hate groups is that they enter a romantic relationship with a woman that isn't affiliated with the group, and end up leaving to spend more time with them or start a family.

  • serial haters

    This group of offenders is particularly insidious. "Serial haters" refers to the most violent, repeat offenders, who's crimes often make the national news cycle. Experts estimate that this group makes up less than 1% of offenders.

    Serial haters, Dr. Gerstenfeld says, have more in common psychologically with mass murderers and terrorists than with most hate crime offenders. Their motivations are hard to understand, because they are often clouded with obsessive bias, mental disturbance, and other factors.

  • The Lone Wolf

    "The Lone Wolf" category is reserved for the typically non-violent offenders who act out, seemingly randomly, without a group of friends present.

    In Dr. Gerstenfeld's words, "We don't know much about this group."

    The research has not shown any clear patterns for the motivations of The Lone Wolf. Dr. Gerstenfeld estimates that they may have histories of violence in the home, or may just be more biased (racist, homophobic, etc.) than the average person, but there is not much consensus among experts.

Part 3:
Hope, Amid an
Uncertain Future

The California Department of Justice and the FBI have yet to release hate crime data for 2017.

The trend data from previous spikes in hate crime show that this spike is likely to subside soon, but it's hard to predict when that will happen, or estimate how many more people will be victimized before it does. 

How many hate crimes are reported in a typical county within the greater San Francisco Bay Area?



Hate crime statistics

All data is courtesy of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and up to date at the time of publication.

15

active hate groups in bay area

917

known hate groups in the us

0.5

in every ten hate crime offenders are convicted in court

1

in every 10 hate crime offenders belong to a hate group

Why are so few hate crimes actually prosecuted?

Lack of Reporting

Experts agree that the majority of hate crimes go unreported, and there is no reliable way to estimate how many hate crimes actually take place, according to Dr. Gerstenfeld. A victim may not report for a number of reasons, including fear of judgement, or simply not realizing that a hate crime has occurred.

Bias is hard to prove

Even if a person is known to be racist, homophobic, or have any other biases prior to a crime taking place, it can be very hard to convince a jury or judge that the person was acting on that bias at the time of the incident, according to Chief Paul Rolleri of the Alameda Police Department. The use of offensive words or images is most often used as evidence of bias.

No suspects

According to FBI reports, about one third of reported hate crimes involve property damage or vandalism that isn't discovered until the offender is long gone. Many of those cases involve no witnesses or evidence that leads law enforcement to any suspects, and so an arrest is never made. 

Lack of Evidence

Often, simple assault and intimidation--in the form of verbal harassment or threats--results in no material evidence, meaning no property damage, physical harm, or recovered weapon, according to Criminal Justice professor Jack Levin, in his book, The Violence of Hate. No evidence = no conviction.