Perceptions of Hate: The Extent to which a Motive of “Hate” Influences Attitudes of Violent Crimes

ABSTRACT

To date, the crime seriousness literature has focused on the influence of motive in the formation of crime perceptions with little consideration for the differences between ethnically diverse populations (e.g. Latina/os, Asian Americans, etc.) or their perceptions regarding the seriousness of hate crimes. Using a sample of students from a racially and ethnically diverse university in California, a factorial survey was constructed to examine (1) the extent to which the motive of hate aggravates or mitigates one's perception of a criminal act, and (2) how membership in a particular ethnic or racial group impacts that perception. The results of this exploratory study indicate that hate motives are considered among the most serious motivations for crime among all respondents. Significant attitudinal differences between ethnic groups, however, were not discovered. This research is relevant to the debate surrounding the appropriateness of enhancing penalties for those who commit hate crimes. Judgments about culpability and appropriateness of punishments must fit the public's perceptions of crime seriousness.