HATE CRIMES

A well-documented overview of contemporary hate crimes and their impacts on victims and communities in the U.S.

Marcovitz (The Opiod Epidemic, 2017, etc.) explains that hate crimes are distinct from other crimes as they’re motivated by bias against a victim’s identity. Typically perpetrators, who most frequently act in small groups, do not know their victims, and the crime is a spontaneous action triggered by seeing someone from a particular demographic. Despite legal efforts to abate hate crimes, people from various religious, ethnic, social, LGBTQ, and other groups face growing hostilities in the U.S. In five succinct chapters the author describes the frequency of hate crimes, their impacts, how legislation addresses hate crimes, challenges with prosecution, and prevention. Supported by statistics and specific, recent case studies covering a diverse range of victims, Marcovitz alerts readers to the shocking truth that over 6,000 hate crimes were recorded in the U.S. in 2016, mostly by people acting independently of organized hate groups. He also offers a brief overview of the history of hate crimes. Color photographs and informative sidebars lend appeal to this work that will speak to readers unnerved by events in the news and their own lives, including school shootings and acts of intolerance or bullying based on identity.

Written in an accessible, episodic style, the message is powerful and disturbing, and this work is a worthy purchase.