Hate Crimes and Hate Crime Law

Hate crimes are offenses committed against an individual or an individual's property because of an offender's bias toward the individual's actual or perceived characteristic (e.g., the individual's race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.). Hate crime laws exist to protect people who have been targeted solely because of their membership within a legally protected category; these categories generally include groups that have been historically oppressed within the larger society. The use of specific hate crime laws varies around the world, as do the arguments for and against the development and implementation of such laws. Organized hate groups are often perceived to be the perpetrators of hate crimes, yet research indicates that typical offenders are more likely to be labeled as thrill seekers and not necessarily members of a formal hate group.