Frequently Asked Questions about Hate Crimes

This guidebook defines and informs on a pressing and pervasive issue--hate crime. A hate crime is a criminal attack committed against people, property, or society, which is motivated by an offender's bias against a person or group's race, religion, ethnic/national origin, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Readers are provided with a thought-provoking survey on hate crimes throughout history and hate crime legislation, its past, present, and future. Readers learn how hate crime happens, who commits hate crimes, and who have been victims of bias attacks. Myths and Facts and Ten Questions to Ask sidebars help dispel misconceptions and give teens additional guidance. The narrative also provides an overview of hate crime on a global level.