Hate Crimes

Crimes to any person in which the victim is intentionally selected because of the actual or perceived race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability of the victim.

Examples:

There are individuals and groups of people who have victimized others physically and emotionally because of the actual or perceived notion of a person(s) race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or disability. Web sites have been created to publish hateful articles about others that they don’t like.

Stay Safe:

As parents take time to educate your children about hate crimes. If they receive e-mail or other type of electronic message that is hateful, tell them that they should not reply to these types of messages, but rather, to report such incidences to you or his/her teacher. If it is serious enough, report it to your local police. Here are some suggestions from the Anti-Defamation League that can help you as parents keep your children safe from hate crimes:

• Be mindful of your language; avoid stereotypical remarks.
• Be knowledgeable; discuss as a family the impact of prejudicial attitudes and behavior.
• Make respect for diversity a core value.

Additional Resources:

101 Ways to Combat Prejudice

Hate Crimes Prevention
Resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

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