Preview

Statement In Relation To A Major And Growing Social Problem Of Hate Crime

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1180 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Statement In Relation To A Major And Growing Social Problem Of Hate Crime
Essay Question: 'Crime is a major and growing social problem'. Critically discuss this statement in relation to a crime type of your choice.

Essay Plan
- My essay will explore hate crimes and how it has become a major growing social issue through the impacts it has on certain groups within society. This is partly fuelled by the role of the media and their power to influence the perspectives of individuals.
- To support this argument, the following points will be made:
• Hate crime can be examined in three broad perspectives (Boeckmann, 2002). The perspectives of society’s responses, the perpetrators motives and the victims experience can all be used to gain further insight to the main cause and continuous growth of such crimes.
• The depiction …show more content…
Have the LGBT been increasingly victimised as a result of recent policies such as the legalisation of same-sex marriage? And is it these laws that contribute to the growth of hate crime? The text is most informative in discovering the impacts of hate crime in the LGBT community, but its narrow perspective fails to analyse the impacts on society as a whole. It also fails to examine the origin of hate crime and if the criminals only harm certain communities, thus making it a less informative source for this essay.

Colomb, W. and Damphousse, K. (2004) Examination of Newspaper Coverage of Hate Crime: A Moral Panic Perspective, American Journal of Criminal Justice, 28(2), pp. 147-163

The text explores the role of media in constructing social problems and how it can create moral panic in society. It emphasises that when these social problems are portrayed a particular way, it creates a negative image to certain groups or communities of people. This then contributes to the prejudice and bias-motivated violence that fuels hate crimes. The writer leaves the impression that various acts of mankind are often encouraged by the news reportage and entertainment venues. They argue that media in the US and other countries thrive on social conflicts and acts of depravity to help create profits. They also explore the legislations created to prohibit hate crimes, such as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) introduced in
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Matthew Shepard Case Study
    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Matthew Shepard Case Study

    On 6 October 1998, Matthew Shepard, a student at the University of Wyoming, met Aaron James McKinney and Russel Arthur Henderson in a bar. The two men, claiming to also be gay, offered to drive Matthew home, but instead brought him to an isolated area, where they took his wallet (containing $20 and a credit card) and his leather shoes. But that was not the end. McKinney and Henderson tied Shepard to a fence, and proceeded to beat him to the point of unconsciousness. He was found 18 hours later, his unconscious body initially mistaken for a fallen scarecrow. The police officer who responded to the 911 call testified, “Though his face was caked in blood, his face was clean where streaks of tears had washed the…

    • 1123 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Race And Terror Sparknotes
    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Race And Terror Sparknotes

    The documentary “Race and Terror”, by VICE news documents the events that happened during the Charlottesville rallies, and the protestors’ views on the results of the protest. Throughout the film, Vice news portrayed obedience, violence, and authority shown by white nationalist, alt-righters, and neo-nazis in order to explore human identities. The documentary relates to the first two units that we have learned in our psychology course, more specifically prejudice, empathy gap, morality, and cognitive dissonance. Throughout the documentary, authority is seen differently from both sides.…

    • 508 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    GANG VIOLENCE AND HARSH PENALTIES
    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages

    GANG VIOLENCE AND HARSH PENALTIES

    References: Elias, R. (1994) Official Stories: Media Coverage of American Crime Policy. The Humanist, 54, 3-8.…

    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sociological and Psychological Theories of Crime Causation
    • 1985 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Sociological and Psychological Theories of Crime Causation

    The aim of this essay is to compare, contrast and evaluate two sociological theories of crime causation and two psychological theories of crime causation.…

    • 1985 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Fabelo Measure Recidivism
    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Fabelo Measure Recidivism

    Conceptual is to form basic ideas in the beginning stages of research to build off a plan. The explanation concerns are hate crime offenders are only categorized based on similarities such as motives and type of offense. An example, in 2003, the Partners Against Hate most committed crime against people was intimidation or crimes against property such as destruction or vandalism (Gallaudet, 2016). Due to no clear developmental trajectories, hate crime offenders are better explained by the characteristics that define their…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hate Crime Analysis
    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hate Crime Analysis

    Crimes of hatred date back as far in history as ancient civilizations. A crime of hate occurs when wrong-doing is done to a particular group of people. Hate crime is a form of prejudice that can be directed as groups of individuals based on religious preference, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other defining characteristic. When two different groups come in contact with one another, the possibility of conflict or tension can happen. In recent decades, America fell to hate crimes when African Americans were lynched and synagogues were vandalized. In current times, the most targeted group of victimization are homosexual men and women. Teenagers have seen the most hatred when bullies out or taunt them in school because of his or her sexuality.…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How To Regulate Hate Crimes
    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How To Regulate Hate Crimes

    Hate crimes are done too frequently all around the world. Although, there are national and state level laws that supposedly regulate them, many people that are different than them. Many of these crimes come in different forms such as hate speech, mentally torturing, physically abusing, and even murdering. Aaron Day, one of the most influential writer for LGBT community, defines clearly, “laws in Russia”- shows how the government and some people in Russia treats homosexuals horribly. According to Aaron Day's article on “The 25 most shocking anti-gay stories from Russia so far,” gay club in Central Station on 23 November 2014 was attacked with ‘harmful gas’ by unknown assailants.(Day) It shows that gay peoples’ rights are violated just because…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Misrepresentation In Law Enforcement
    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Misrepresentation In Law Enforcement

    Psychologists argue that the public has mastered the art of playing the victim when dealing with law enforcement agencies through the help of the media. It ignores reporting on the time that officers take negotiating with criminals before shooting them because of provocation (Garner, 2012). It portrays members of the black community as criminals who are always targeted by police officers. The media has instilled fear in the public with regard to the power of the Black Lives Matter Movement as a way of validating their claims that members of the African American community often face a lot of brutality from the police. This situation has not been made any better by the existence of smart phones and the increasing number of people using social media. People use their phones to record video clips and report various incidents of police misconduct by posting them on social media (Garner, 2012). These videos are shared widely. Various senders end up creating a negative image about the work of law enforcement agencies. The police argue that the challenge does not lie in people recording and sharing their confrontations with the public, but the manner in which the whole situations are put in the wrong context and shared with people that have little knowledge about the real events that took place (Colbran,…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Bias and Hate Crimes
    • 1488 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Bias and Hate Crimes

    Given that our society has such a dense population of different races, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, it is important to understand both the goals and challenges of policing and dealing with hate and bias crimes. Considering that since the beginning stages of immigration we have tried to support successful assimilation, hate and bias crimes create a huge barrier. Hate and bias crimes “occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain social group, usually defined by race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, or political affiliation” (en.wikipedia.org). Not only is it difficult for our society to identify this sort of crime, but it is also extremely hard to enact comprehensive laws governing the way police and society as a whole should handle these crimes. An important problem associated with bias and hate crimes is distinguishing them from other “everyday” crimes; often, the terms are used interchangeably. Law enforcement as well as the general public should understand that bias and hate crimes are in many ways the same crimes that are committed everyday, but that hate and bias crimes are committed intentionally against a person because of a certain bias and are usually much more violent. Furthermore, deciding how offenders should be identified and punished is sometimes problematic “because motivation is subjective, [and] it is often difficult for police officers to determine whether an offense was motivated by bias” (Katz, pg 301)…

    • 1488 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Research Question
    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Research Question

    |What questions do you have about the topic that you would like to|What is a hate crime?…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Causes Of Hate Crimes
    • 128 Words
    • 1 Page

    Causes Of Hate Crimes

    So why do hate crimes occur? They occur as a result of preconception and obliviousness. Hate crimes is a “lack of understanding about differences among people and their traditions contributes to fear and intolerance. Left unaddressed, these sentiments many often lead to acts of intimidation and ultimately hate-motivated violence”. (“Why Do Hate Crimes Occur?")…

    • 128 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Hate Crime Laws: Are They Constitutional?
    • 1631 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Hate Crime Laws: Are They Constitutional?

    "That 's Gay." If you are around teenagers today, that is a phrase you will most likely hear very often. It is not necessarily meant as a homophobic or hate-filled remark, and most of the time it is referring to an object, an idea, or a conversation; things that obviously have no sexual orientation. But now, according to a bill passed by the senate, it could almost be considered a hate crime. Many people support the widening of hate crime laws, assuming that with stricter penalties, the crimes will lessen. In June, 2004, Senate passed a bill that received a record number of votes, passing 65-33, including 18 Republicans voting yes. The measure will add sexual orientation, gender and disability to the list of motives that provide for enhanced federal prosecution of a violent crime against a person (Lochhead). The current hate crimes law, which originated during the civil rights movement of the 1960s when many Southern states failed to prosecute assaults on African Americans, includes crimes motivated by hatred based on race, color, religion, and national origin. Many see this as a step forward, but there are some who think it is unconstitutional. Religious groups argue that "It advances the radical, well publicized agenda of homosexuals to gain acceptance for, and legal recognition of, homosexuality as a normal lifestyle" (Toalston). So who 's right? Should there be a separate category for crimes committed to minorities? Shouldn 't all crimes be treated just as serious as another? I believe that the categorizing of crimes into Hate Crimes is just further segregating people because of their differences, and that paying more serious attention to crimes committed on minorities is sending a bad message to those who are in the majority.…

    • 1631 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Hate Crimes
    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Essay On Hate Crimes

    The United States of America has a long dark history in terms of racism, from the civil war to World War II minority groups have been the target of crimes of hatred and prejudice. From public lynching, cross burning, arson to vandalism are just some of the tactics used by hate groups to display their prejudice. According to the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) the term hate crime was not used until the 1980s, however investigations conducted by the FBI on hate related crime stretches far back to the First World War, on the group called the Ku Klux Klan attracted their attention. The department of justice defines a hate crime as “Hate crime is the violence of intolerance and bigotry, intended to hurt and intimidate someone because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religious, sexual orientation, or disability. The purveyors of hate use explosives, arson, weapons, vandalism, physical violence, and verbal threats of violence to instill fear in their victims, leaving them vulnerable to more attacks and feeling alienated, helpless, suspicious and fearful.” Communities such as people of color and LGBT are two groups that had been overwhelming impacted from white supremacist groups and anti-gay group. Crimes motivated by hatred have led to legislation that requires the tracking of statistical data to gather information and…

    • 1410 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Hate Crime in Today's World
    • 2010 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Hate Crime in Today's World

    “Among the single-bias hate crimes incidents in 2009, there were 4,057 victims of racially motivated hate crimes” (US Department of Justice, 2009). Racially motivated hate crimes have the highest statistic rate in 2009. “Since 1990 hate crimes have consistently stayed the same and have ranged between 5500 and 8500” Taylor, J. (2001). There are so many crimes do not get reported…

    • 2010 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hate Crimes In Society
    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hate Crimes In Society

    Hate crimes have and always will be an appalling flaw to society. Yet many people are unaware of the characteristics of a hate crime. Hate crimes are any traditional crime such as arson, murder, invasion of privacy, or vandalism that the victim was selected because of their race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion. Over human beings history, hate crimes have been heavily targeted at several groups, yet the effect on society is always the same, and that is that it changes nothing and is fueled by ignorance and arrogance. We as a society must stop this pattern.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics