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Some facts about hate crimes:

	The National Education Association states: "Whereas ordinary crimes are generally committed by people with whom the victims are familiar, hate crimes and acts of violence are overwhelmingly committed by strangers" 1
	The main targets of hate crimes are not the immediate victim, but an entire community of which the victim is a member.
	Most perpetrators of hate crimes are under the age of 20.
	The FBI has reported on U.S. hate crimes during 1995 to 2007: 2,3   Basis of crime 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999  Total hate/bias crimes 7,947 8,759 8,049 9,235 7,876 Race 61% 62% 59% 58% 55% Religion 16% 16% 17% 16% 18% Sexual orientation 13% 12% 14% 15% 17% Ethnicity / National origin 10% 11% 10% 10% 13% Disability - - 0.15% 0.3% 0.3% Multiple bases  - 0.07% 0.05% .05% 0.1%

Basis of crime	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Total hate/bias crimes	9,562	9,730	7,462	7,489	7,649
Race	54%	45%	49%	51%	53%
Religion	16%	19%	19%	18%	18%
Sexual orientation	16%	14%	17%	17%	16%
Ethnicity / National origin	12%	22%	15%	14%	13%
Disability	0.4%	0.4%	0.6%	0.4%	0.7%
Multiple bases	0.08%	0.09%	0.04%	0.05%	0.09%

Basis of crime	2005	2006	2007
Total hate/bias crimes	7,163	7,722	7,624
Race	56%	52%	51%
Religion	16%	19%	18%
Sexual orientation	14%	15%	17%
Ethnicity / National origin	14%	13%	13%
Disability	0.6%	1.0%	1.0%
Multiple bases	0.04%	0.03%	0.04%

	Among the 2007 hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation: 59% of the offenses victimized gay males; 13% victimized lesbians 25% were reported as anti-homosexual without identifying the sex of the victim. 1.8% were anti-heterosexual 1.6% were anti-bisexual.
	The FBI reports on hate-crime statistics by year at: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm
	2008 data is expected to be released during 2009-OCT.

	The percentage of hate crimes based on:   Race appears to to have been in a steady, though slow, decline during the 1990s, and a gradual increase since 2001. The overwhelming number of victims are black (2,630 out of 3,919 incidents during 2005).   Religion appears to have been rising during the latter years of the 20th century, reached a peak during 2001/2002, and perhaps declining since. However, attacks on Muslims -- and on persons mistaken for Muslims (e.g. Sikhs, Hindus, Coptic Christians etc.) may have gone up slightly after the terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon. An increase is shown in the data, but it is not statistically significant.   Sexual orientation appears to be relatively stable. Some expect it to increase over time in response to gays and lesbians obtaining rights equal to the rest of the population including the right to marry in some states.
	Most hate crime incidents are probably not reported to the police. This may well be particularly the case for assaults on homosexuals. Some victims of gay bashing do not report the crime because they are still "in the closet."
	Some police forces do not transmit their hate crime statistics to the FBI.
	The Southern Poverty Law Center said that attacks against gays tend to be more severe than those against other minority groups. They recorded 21 gays and lesbians killed during 1996 because of their sexual orientation. 4
	Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) writes: "Most anti-gay hate crime perpetrators perceive gay bashing to be socially sanctioned and, therefore, acceptable behavior." 5
	The total annual number of hate crimes in the U.S. reported to the FBI increased during the 1990s and decreased in the early 2000s. However, there is some indication that they may be on the rise again.
	PFLAG publishes a Hate Crimes Information Packet. It contains information on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, hate crimes statistics and research, etc. 6

References:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. "Hate motivated crime and violence: Information for schools, communities, & families," National Education Association at: http://www.nea.org/issues/safescho/hatecrim.html
2. "Uniform Crime Reports, FBI, at: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm
3. "Crime in the United States, 2000," FBI press release, 2001-OCT-22, at: http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/
4. Quoted in: Sam Fulwood III, "Just what is a hate crime?," Los Angeles Times, at: http://www.seattletimes.com
5. "General talking points on anti-gay hate crime," PFLAG Action Alert, at: http://www.gcym.org/
6. "General talking points on anti-gay hate crime," PFLAG Action Alert, at: http://www.gcym.org/

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Latest update: 2009-JUL-22
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