Improving the Quality and Accuracy of Bias Crime Statistics Nationally

Bias ² crimes are by no means a new phenomenon to the United States; accounts of our nation’s history are replete with violent manifestations of hate and prejudice. Over the past fifteen years, increased awareness and discussion about the legacy and impact of such crimes has prompted legislation that identifies bias crimes as distinct from similar nonbias crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines these crimes:

A hate crime, also known as a bias crime, is a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin (Crime in the United States, 1999).