Project Purpose: The primary objective of this project is to conduct an analysis of the changing patterns of hate crimes that have occurred in the United States of America (USA) over the course of the last few decades. More specifically this data set identifies patterns and trends spanning from 1998-2018 via FBI’s crime data base sourced below.

What is meant by the term “hate crime”? Hate crimes are defined as criminal offenses that were motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, gender, gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and that were committed against persons, property, or society. According to The Hate Crime Statistics Program of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, hate crimes are defined as criminal offenses that were motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, Hate crimes can range in intensity from “Intimidation” to “Aggravated Assault” to, in some tragic situations, “Murder,” as in the cases of the killings of Matthew Shepard, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Hate crimes can also be classified as “Aggravated Assault” or “Intimidation.” Remember that because motivation is a subjective concept, it is not always easy to determine with absolute certainty whether or not a criminal act was the consequence of the offender’s bias. In addition, the mere existence of prejudice is insufficient evidence to conclude that a certain offense qualifies as a hate crime on its own. When a law enforcement investigation reveals sufficient evidence to lead a reasonable and prudent person to conclude that the offender’s actions were motivated, in whole or in part, by his or her bias, only then will an agency report an incident as a hate crime. This is the only time that a law enforcement agency will report an incident as a hate crime.

Chart A & Chart B: Hate crime in the USA, 1998-2018 Chart A is an interactive bar chart to facilitate the exploration of the type of hate crime committed, year associated, and totals for that specific period. Chart B is a stacked bar chart of these hate crimes. The USA has a history of discrimination that is just as dreary as it is long. Such bias can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including those that are based on racial, gender, or sexual orientation. And whether we like to accept it or not, that period of history is not too far in our rear-view mirror. Hate crimes are one of the most aggressive and potentially lethal expressions of prejudice that can be found in the USA. But, prejudice can show itself in many different ways in this society. This dataset was obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Data Explorer. This data collection includes the date, state, race of the perpetrator, number of victims, kind of offense, and other relevant information between 1991 and 2018.

Data Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, “Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2023: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/.

Chart C: Hate crime in the USA by sexual orientation, 1998-2018: This data set aims to address and showcase the rising surge in Hate crimes against LGBTQ people in the 50 US states. More specifically, individual break downs include: Trans personnel who make up less than .3% of the population, but account for a significant amount of hate crimes every year. The visuals depicted to the right showcase the year groups associated with the rise, as well as the total types. Something to note is the break out of hate crime type by identified sexual orientation. The majority of hate crimes reported within the LGBTQ community are against typically self identifying gay men. Gay men, however, make up the majority of the LGBTQ community at 3.6% of men in the US identifying as “gay or bisexual” as opposed to 3.2% of women identifying the same.

Data Source: Gates, Gary, “How Many People are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender?,” UCLA School of Law, Williams Institute, 2011: https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/how-many-people-lgbt/.

Chart D: Hate crime in the USA by race, 1998-2018: The USA still has a serious problem with hate crimes. Hate crimes have increased in recent years, with 7,314 occurrences reported in 2019 alone, according to FBI data. Race was the primary factor driving these occurrences, followed by religion, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. But it’s vital to remember that underreporting of hate crimes means that the actual number of incidences is probably greater. The data shows some alarming patterns when race-based hate crimes are examined. According to the FBI, anti-Black prejudice was the driving force behind more than half of all hate crime events in 2019. As a result, Black people were the most often targeted racial group in 2019. instances driven by anti-Jewish prejudice came next, making up over 18% of all instances. With little more than 4% of all instances, anti-Hispanic or Latino bias-based hate crimes ranked third. Despite the fact that hate crimes can be committed against people of any race, these figures indicate that some racial groups are more likely to be the victims of hate crimes than others. As a result, attempts to counteract hate crimes must take into consideration these discrepancies.

Data Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, “Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2023: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/.

Chart E: Hate crime in the USA by location, 1998-2018. The distribution of hate crimes in the USA is not uniform. The FBI’s statistics show that some states and regions experience more hate crimes than others. For instance, the Western part of the nation saw the most hate crimes in 2020, followed by the Northeast, the South, and the Midwest. In 2020, the most hate crimes were committed in California, New York, New Jersey, and Texas. These regional and state-level variations in hate crime rates have numerous, intricate causes. Demographics, politics, and historical background are only a few examples of the variables that may be involved. For instance, there may be a larger likelihood of hate crimes in places with higher numbers of marginalized groups. Additionally, hate crimes may be more frequent in states with a history of discrimination or racial unrest. To effectively prevent and manage hate crimes at both the regional and national levels, it is essential to understand the variables that contribute to these variations in hate crime rates.

Data Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, “Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2023: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/.

Chart F & Chart G: Hate crime in the USA by offender information, 1998-2018 Chart F examines offenders by race, while Chart G examines offenders by hate crime bias. According to the data on hate crimes in the USA, the race that commits the most hate crimes is white individuals. The data shows that in the years between 1991 and 2018, white individuals were responsible for the highest number of hate crimes across the country. While the exact reasons for this trend are not fully understood, some experts point to the historical and cultural factors that may have contributed to the racial biases and prejudices that motivate such crimes. It is worth noting that hate crimes often target people based on their identity, including their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and disability, among other factors. Therefore, addressing the issue of hate crimes in the USA requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account the complex social, cultural, and political factors that contribute to such crimes, while also ensuring that the victims are supported and protected.

Data Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, “Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2023: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/.

Chart H: Hate crime in the USA by offense type, 1998-2018. Hate crimes are criminal actions motivated by prejudice or hatred toward certain traits of an individual or group, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Acts of vandalism, intimidation, simple assault, and aggravated assault are the crimes most frequently linked to hate crimes in the USA. Intimidation comprises making verbal or physical threats with the intention of intimidating a person or group, whereas vandalism includes actions like graffiti or property destruction. Aggravated assault entails substantial bodily harm or the use of a dangerous weapon, whereas simple assault only involves minor physical injury. These acts make up the bulk of hate crimes perpetrated in the US, according to statistics. 3,989 of the 7,314 hate crimes recorded to law enforcement agencies in 2019 were crimes against people, including assault, intimidation, and other violations, according to the FBI. Of those crimes against people, intimidation made up more than half, while simple assault made up about a quarter. The bulk of the remaining hate crimes were vandalism, followed by burglary and auto theft. It is significant to emphasize that because hate crimes sometimes go undetected, these data could not accurately reflect the severity of the issue.

Data Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, “Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2023: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/.

Chart I: Hate crime in the USA across presidential administrations, 1998-2018. Researchers and analysts have been interested in the statistics on hate crimes and how they relate to the presidents’ administrations between 1992 and 2019. The findings show that there were more hate crimes committed under some presidential regimes than others. For instance, the number of hate crimes increased throughout the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations, but it declined under Bill Clinton and Barack Obama’s presidency. According to the research, there is a direct correlation between the political atmosphere and the prevalence of hate crimes. The way the nation’s leaders talk about particular groups of people might be one reason for the association between presidential administrations and hate crime statistics. For instance, President Trump has been under fire for his divisive and harsh comments toward Muslim and immigrant populations. His frequent use of harsh language in speeches and tweets targeting certain groups may have led to an increase in hate crimes during his presidency. On the other hand, President Obama was well known for his inclusiveness and support of underrepresented groups, which could have contributed to the decline in hate crimes during his administration. Overall, the evidence indicates that the occurrence of hate crimes in the nation may be significantly influenced by the tone and policies of the president’s administration.

Data Source: Uniform Crime Reporting Program, “Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer,” Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2023: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/.