Patrick Mccaffery

Why Do Hate Crime Victims Report? Patrick Mccaffery

In this study, hate crime victims who voluntarily came into contact with police were given a voice to answer the simple question: Why did you report? Instead of focusing on the traditional reasons why victims stay silent, this research engaged the literature, examined over 400 reported police cases, explored the first-hand insights of 39 hate crime victims as well as dozens of other skilled practitioners. The findings challenge much of the conventional wisdom on this topic as they reveal why individuals and groups react differently to victimization, and how police professionalism plays a far greater role in motivating hate crime victims to report. There are also significant implications about how authorities need to rethink the harm caused by hate and other crimes, how to organize and train police officers to better respond, and why low numbers of reported incidents cannot be taken at face value. Answers to the research question go a long way towards understanding the intricacies of hate crime victimization and in contributing to this little understood field of inquiry.