Distinctive Characteristics of Assaults Motivated by Bias*

Abstract

This research examines the ways in which assaults motivated by bias are similar to and different from other types of assault. Analyses are based on data from the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), pooled across eleven states. We find evidence suggesting that offenders motivated by racial and ethnic bias are more likely to be versatile offenders than specialists: they are more (not less) likely to be using drugs and alcohol during the crime than conventional offenders. Bias offenders are also more likely to seriously injure the victim. Finally, we find that the risks of bias crime victimization (relative to the risk of assault victimization generally) are similar for blacks and other racial minorities.

Hate Crimes: Perspectives on Offending and the Law

“…Second, future work at the individual and aggregate levels of analysis might further assess the viability of criminological theories for explaining hate crime. Recent aggregate-level research suggests that hate crimes by majority group members against minorities have unique ecological correlates that might indicate specialization (Lyons, 2007), while offense-level data show that hate crime offenders are quite versatile (Messner et al, 2004). An important question thus persists -what is the place of criminological theory in the study of hate crime?…”

“…Moreover, and relative to non-hate crimes, hate crime offending disproportionately involves multiple offenders and the victims are especially likely to be strangers as opposed to acquaintances (Martin, 1996;Garofalo & Martin, 1993). Hate crime offenses are also more likely than comparable crimes without the bias element to entail alcohol use (Messner et al, 2004). Research is less definitive, however, with respect to crime severity and physical injury to victims.…”

“…According to one study based on the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting Program (NIBRS), 61% of incidents were motivated by race, while 14% were motivated by religion, 13% by sexual orientation, 11% by ethnicity, and only a small proportion of cases involve other motivations such as disability (Strom, 2001). Of hate crimes motivated by race, blacks and other non-whites are about four times more likely to be the victim of a bias-motivated assault than whites (Messner, McHugh, & Felson, 2004), while anti-Jewish sentiment is the modal category among hate crimes entailing religious motivation. Moreover, and relative to non-hate crimes, hate crime offending disproportionately involves multiple offenders and the victims are especially likely to be strangers as opposed to acquaintances (Martin, 1996;Garofalo & Martin, 1993).…”

“…Hate crime and non-hate crime offenders alike are disproportionately male (Strom, 2001) and tend to have histories of substance use, criminal records, and spells of unemployment (Dunbar, 2003), consistent with the idea of a versatile offender. Messner et al's (2004) analysis of data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System generally supports the versatile offender model. As they conclude, "The similarities between bias and conventional offenses.…”

Applying situational crime prevention to terrorism against airports and aircrafts.

“…The motivation of the crime has been related to victim outcomes (Drawve, Thomas, & Walker, 2014). For example ;Messner, McHugh, and Felson (2004) found offenders who assaulted their victims based on violence or hate were more likely to seriously injure their victim. Also, offenders motivated by hate or a personal grudge are more likely to ignore the level of guardianship present or the suitableness of the target (Drawve, Thomas, & Walker, 2014).…”