Hate Crimes [5 Volumes]

Hate crimes continue to be a pervasive problem in the United States. The murder of Matthew Shepard, the lynching of James Byrd, the murderous rampage of Benjamin Smith, and anti-Muslim violence remind us that incidence of deadly bigotry is not only a recurring chapter in U.S. history, but also a part of our present-day world.

Contrary to common belief, hate mongers who commit crimes are rarely members of the Ku Klux Klan or a skinhead group. In fact, fewer than 5 percent of identifiable offenders are members of organized hate groups. Yet rather than being an individual crime, hate crime represents an assault against all members of stigmatized and marginalized communities. To fully understand the phenomenon of hate crime and reduce its incidence, it is necessary to clearly define the term itself, to examine the victims and the offenders, and to evaluate the consequences and harms of hate crimes.

This comprehensive five-volume set carefully addresses the disturbing variety and incidence of hate crimes, exposing their impacts on the broader realms of crime, punishment, individual communities, and society. The contributing authors and editors pay critical attention to cutting-edge topics such as online hate crimes, hate-based music, anti-Latino hostilities, Islamaphobia, hate crimes in the War on Terror, school-based anti-hate initiatives, and more. The final volume of Hate Crimes provides valuable food for thought on possible legislative, educational, social policy, or community organizational responses to the varied forms of hate crime.

The twentieth century appeared to close much as it had opened - with sprees of violence directed against the Other. The murder of Matthew Shepard, the lynching of James Byrd, the murderous rampage of Benjamin Smith, and post-9/11 anti-Muslim violence all stand as reminders that the bigotry that kills is much more than an unfortunate chapter in U.S. history. Racial, gender, ethnic and religious violence persist. This riveting new set focused on hate crimes comes at a time when such acts are still not uncommon. The topic, then, remains relevant despite outcries for an end to such violence. It covers a wide variety of hate crimes, the consequences for both victims and perpetrators and their communities, efforts to combat hate crime, and other aspects of these ugly offenses that affect everyone.

The twentieth century appeared to close much as it had opened - with sprees of violence directed against the Other. The murder of Matthew Shepard, the lynching of James Byrd, the murderous rampage of Benjamin Smith, and post-9/11 anti-Muslim violence all stand as reminders that the bigotry that kills is much more than an unfortunate chapter in U.S. history. Racial, gender, ethnic and religious violence persist. This riveting new set focused on hate crimes comes at a time when such acts are still not uncommon. The topic, then, remains relevant despite outcries for an end to such violence. It covers a wide variety of hate crimes, the consequences for both victims and perpetrators and their communities, efforts to combat hate crime, and other aspects of these ugly offenses that affect everyone.

Rather than an individual crime, hate crime is, in fact, an assault against all members of stigmatized and marginalized communities. With respect to hate crime, at least, history does repeat itself as similar patterns of motivation, sentiment and victimization recur over time. Just as immigrants in the 1890s were subject to institutional and public forms of discrimination and violence, so too were those of the 1990s; likewise, former black slaves risked the wrath of the KKK when they exercised their newfound rights after the Civil War, just as their descendants risked violent reprisal for their efforts to win and exercise additional rights and freedoms in the civil rights era. While the politics of difference that underlie these periods of animosity may lie latent for short periods of time, they nonetheless seem to remain on the simmer, ready to resurface whenever a new threat is perceived - when immigration levels increase, or when relationships between groups shift for other political, economic, or cultural reasons, or in the aftermath of attacks like those on 9/11. Yet, understanding the scope of hate crimes is impossible without examining the victims, the offenders, the consequences and harms of hate crimes, and the actual definitions of just what hate crime is. This comprehensive five-volume set addresses these areas in careful analyses that take into account the variety and incidence of hate crimes and the impact they have on the broader realm of crime, punishment, communities, society, and the security of a pluralistic society that seeks to remain peaceful even in the face of change. This set includes attention to cutting edge topics such as hate crime in the internet age, hate rock, anti-Latino hostilities, Islamaphobia, hate crimes in the War on Terror, school-based anti-hate initiatives, victim services and counseling, and more.

Kam W. Teo - Library Journal

Edited by criminologist Perry (Ontario Inst. of Tech), this wide-ranging collection of articles written by scholars and practitioners sheds considerable light on the victims and perpetrators of hate crimes. Hate crime, by definition, is "an assault against all members of stigmatized and marginalized communities." Therefore, acts of violence against individuals "are less about individuals than the cultural groups they represent." The relatively new academic field of hate crimes studies is interdisciplinary in nature and comprises fields such as law, sociology, criminology, and public health. This is not a reference work in the traditional sense; one is not able to get to facts quickly but needs to read lengthy articles to find information. This is in part a reflection of the newness of hate crimes as an academic discipline as well as the nature of the subject matter which does not lend itself to brief, pithy explanations. In addition, the academic prose of the articles also negates accessibility for general readers. BOTTOM LINE A vividly written collection of articles, this is highly recommended for university libraries and special libraries within government, law enforcement, law firms, news organizations, and nongovernmental organizations. For a general readership, Facts On File's Hate Crimes is a good alternative; academic libraries will also find much of the information in Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology Online.—Kam W. Teo, Weyburn P.L., Sask.

BARBARA PERRY is Professor at University of Ontario. She is the author of Hate Crime: A Reader, In the Name of Hate: Understanding Hate Crimes, and Investigating Difference: Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice. She has published many book chapters and articles. She is also a member of the advisory board for the Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence.