Hate and violence: Addressing discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Abstract

Social scientists have a potentially important role to play in combatting discrimination and hatemotivated aggression, as has been noted for over 50 years. Nonetheless, there is still relatively little research in this area, despite increasing recognition of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other characteristics. One of the most important scientific trends in research on both discrimination and violence has been recognition of the intersectionality among many of these phenomena, including the intersection of characteristics that confer privilege or disadvantage, of different types of hate-motivated aggression, or among hate-motivated aggression and other forms of victimization. Much work still needs to be done to unpack the diverse sources and complex nature of prejudicial attitudes. In light of current events around the world, we are in urgent need of evidence-based approaches for prevention and intervention that focus both on individuals who commit hate-motivated aggression and those who are the targets of such behaviors. In this introduction to the special issue on hate and violence, we highlight key themes of a series of articles that advance our knowledge in this area. Given that they cover some, but not all, of the topics related to discrimination, we also present several recommendations for future research.

Exposure to Multiple Forms of Bias Victimization on Youth and Young Adults: Relationships with Trauma Symptomatology and Social Support

“…A parallel literature has noted a dose-response relationship between adversities (poly-victimization, ACES) and negative outcomes among youth and adults (Mitchell et al 2015). Yet gaps remain and there have been calls to expand research on the variety of ways youth experience bias-motivated victimization (Sugarman et al 2018).…”

Cumulative consequences of stigma: Possessing multiple concealable stigmatized identities is associated with worse quality of life

“…Although it began as a legal argument, the concept of intersectionality—that one must consider the whole of a person's identities to best understand their experiences—has expanded into numerous academic and applied disciplines, including psychology (Else‐Quest & Hyde, ; Rosenthal, ; Williams & Fredrick, ), public health (Bowleg, ; Goodin et al, ), and even the common vernacular, as it was added to Webster's Dictionary in 2017 (Merriam‐Webster, ). Accordingly, researchers have recently used an intersectional approach to study discrimination (e.g., Lewis & Van Dyke, ; Liu & Wong, ; Sugarman et al, ), sexual and domestic violence (e.g., Armstrong, Gleckman‐Krut, & Johnson, ; Conwill, ; Powell, Hlavka, & Mulla, ), as well as physical and mental health (e.g., Dlugonski, Martin, Mailey, & Pineda, ; Goodin et al, ; Lewis & Van Dyke, ; Velez, Moradi, & DeBlaere, ), among others.…”

Identity‐based hate and violence as trauma: Current research, clinical implications, and advocacy in a globally connected world

“…Hate‐based violence, like other forms of violence, is psychological, behavioral, economic, sexual, and emotional and can take the following forms: (a) discrimination, which may include difference of opportunities, degradation, and public humiliation; (b) hate speech, which may include words, symbols, images, memes, emojis, and videos intended to vilify, bully, humiliate, or incite hatred against a group; and (c) hate crimes, which can include, but are not limited to, harassment, physical assault, sexual assault, murder, and genocide. It is important to note that all forms of hate‐motivated behavior are forms of violence, regardless of whether an overt injury occurs, the intent is to cause harm (Sugarman et al., 2018).…”