Kevin J. Strom

September 23, 2001    NCJ 186765

Utilizes data from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting Program (NIBRS) to describe hate crimes reported to law enforcement in NIBRS-participating jurisdictions, between 1997 and 1999. The report analyzes NIBRS hate crime incidents from jurisdictions in up to 17 States reporting such data to the FBI over the 3-year period, including information on the type of bias motivation, the offenses committed during these incidents, the presence and use of weapons, and the location and the time of day of these crimes. Information is also provided on the characteristics of hate crime victims, suspected hate crime offenders, and the reported relationship between victims and suspected offenders. Incident-based statistics are presented on the law enforcement response to NIBRS hate crime incidents, including clearance rates by offense and the characteristics of persons arrested for the commission of bias crimes.

Highlights include the following:

• In 60% of hate crime incidents, the most serious offense was a violent crime, most commonly intimidation or simple assault.
• The majority of incidents motivated by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability involved a violent offense, while two-thirds of incidents motivated by religion involved a property offense, most commonly vandalism.
• Younger offenders were responsible for most hate crimes. Thirty-one percent of violent offenders and 46% of property offenders were under age 18.

Part of the Hate Crime Series

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