Violence: Analysis, Intervention, and Prevention

Chapter 5: Understanding and Preventing Hate Crimes in Communities: Xenophobia, Homelessness, Racism, Soccer Hooliganism, Anti-GLBT, and Neo-Fascist Violence

100 5 Understanding and Preventing Hate Crimes in Communities Xenophobia, Homelessness, Racism, Soccer Hooliganism, Anti-GLBT, and Neo-Fascist Violence Matthew Shepard was a twenty-two-year-old undergraduate student studying international politics and languages at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. On a cold October night in 1998, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson brought Matthew from a local bar to eastern Laramie. They tied him to a split-rail fence, beat him, called him homophobic names, and left him to die. Eighteen hours later, a passing cyclist found Matthew’s body tied to the fence. Matthew ’s funeral was attended by friends and family and received international media attention that brought his story to light in the struggle to end intolerance and hate. The tragic death of Matthew Shepard clearly illustrates that hate and discrimination need to be addressed in families, schools, and communities. The Matthew Shepard Foundation, founded by Matthew’s mother, Judy, seeks to create a movement of people to work together to end hatred in society. The Matthew Shepard Foundation equips people with the necessary antihate and pro–human rights tools to deal with hateful speech and actions and promotes discussion and dialogue that address hate violence in society (Loffreda 2001). Understanding and Preventing Hate Crimes in Communities |  Hate crimes can be characterized as violence against a person who is seen as a member of an out-group toward which there is some measure of socially approved hostility (Gerstenfeld and Grant 2003). Hate crimes might also be referred to as ethnoviolence. The attacker perceives the targeted out-group as a threat to the attacker’s identity and values (Staub 1992). The ideas that justify violent crimes are promoted by prominent persons in society (e.g., political leaders) and/or popular culture (e.g., folklore, films, TV, and advertising) that portray stereotypes (Gerstenfeld 2003). Even the homeless are subjected to hate crimes and are often held “liable for societal ills such as sin, urban disorder, crime, disease, and poverty” (Barak 1991, 8). Oftentimes, for ordinary people such as the Nazi doctors in the concentration camps to commit horrendous acts of violence, a duality of identity must take place (Lifton 1997). Two features distinguish hate crimes (Southern Poverty Law Center 1999). First, the attacks are vicious, especially considering that the survivors did nothing to the attackers. Second, hate crimes are often committed by large groups of assailants, which ensures lack of personal responsibility felt by any individual for his or her role in the attack. Hate crimes are committed against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender, ethnic and/or religious group affiliation , or disability (Perry 2001) (table 5.1). Hate crimes are committed against the dignity and human rights of an individual person (Barash 1991; Galtung 1996). Human rights are essential to our understanding of the dignity of human persons, which is essential to intervening in ethnic, gender, racial, and religious conflict (Gerstenfeld and Grant 2003). These rights are essential to the roots of conflict, because conflict may escalate into violence if human rights are trampled on (Merry 2006). Resolutions reached on nonlevel playing fields usually suffer fundamental flaws and do not promote sustainable peace between disputants (Lederach 2005). The denial of human rights therefore works against the goals of peace (Barash 1991). In contrast, globally nonviolent direct action and related social movements for socioeconomic and political change have forged people power in support of civil and women’s rights, disability rights, the environment, and human rights (Sharp 2005). Human  | Chapter 5 rights are critical in the development of economic and social justice that fulfills human needs and expands people’s critical and creative consciousness to end hate crimes and violence (Merry 2006). This chapter addresses some of the multiple causes of hate crime by exploring the media as well as racial, ethnic, and political violence and violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people and also discusses the impact of violence in society by soccer hooligans, skinheads, and neo-Fascists. In addition, this chapter outlines some interventions to prevent hate crimes. Causes of Hate Crimes Hate violence is the systematic abuse of a targeted group that generates inaccurate information about these people (Perry 2001). Hate crimes and hate violence hurt all members of the community (Kivel 1997) (figure 5.1). Racial and Ethnic Hate Crimes The extent and nature of hate crime against racially diverse groups is on the increase globally...