fact

According to the FBI, more than 8,700 bias-motivated criminal incidents in 49 states, affecting over 11,000 victims, were committed in 1996. Eight of every 10 victims were individuals; the rest were businesses, religious organization or other targets. Most hate crimes occur on residential property.

The three types of hate incidents most reported are racial (5,396), religious (1,401) and related to sexual orientation (1,016).

Violence against women is generally committed by someone they know. Women were attacked about six times more by offender with whom they had an intimate relationship than were male violence victims. This is one crime that knows no racism: women of all races are equally vulnerable to attacks by intimates.

Only 15 states and the District of Columbia recognize sexual orientation-bias in hate crime statutes. Thirteen states have no hate crime laws whatsoever.

Hate crimes against gays and lesbian accounted for 12.8% of all hate crime statistics in 1995, up from 8.9% in 1991.

Almost two-thirds of the country say that the poor are usually discriminated against in our society. Americans feel that discrimination is routinely aimed at the disabled (61% feel that way), the elderly (54%), gays and lesbians (51%), and Native Americans (50%).

While 70% of African-Americans themselves feel they themselves are discriminated against, only 41% of Americans feel that happens.

facts on hate crimes CONTINUED