ABSTRACT
If hatred is underpinned by prejudice, and prejudice is a natural and possibly unavoidable part of the human condition, then it seems reasonable to suggest that negative human behaviour motivated by prejudice and hatred will be as old as humankind itself. In other words, actions that we have recently come to label as ‘hate crimes’ will have a lengthy history that extends far further back than society’s contemporary interest in them. As we shall see, this is indeed the case. By citing examples from across the world to illustrate that these crimes can indeed be traced back over many centuries, this chapter will examine a selective history of hate crimes, before exploring the reasons behind the rise of hate crime as a contemporary social problem.
