Hate and 

Bias Crime

HATE CRIMES are, generally, criminal 

offenses that are at least partly motivated by 

the offender’s bias against a race, religion, 

disability, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation. 

While legal definitions vary by state, hate 

crime statutes share the recognition that 

these crimes not only affect the victim, but 

because of the victim’s real or perceived 

membership in a class of people, also 

indirectly victimize the entire class of people 

targeted. As a result, these criminal acts 

carry additional penalties. 

NOTE: Data for 2014 unless otherwise indicated. 

Hover for data hyperlinks to source material.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

6,727 victims of reported hate crimes

involved in 6,418 offenses and 5,479 incidents A

Incidents by Offender Bias: A

Race (47.0%)

Religious (18.6%)

Sexual Orientation (18.6%)

Ethnicity (11.9%)

Gender Identity (1.8%)

Disability (1.5%)

Gender (0.6%) 5,462 

single-bias

incidents

5,462

single-bias

incidents

Religion (18.6%)

Race (47.0%)

Sexual orientation (18.6%)

Ethnicity (11.9%)

Gender identity (1.8%)

Gender (0.6%)

Disability (1.5%)

Black (23.2%)

White (52.0%)

American Indian/

Alaska Native (1.1%)

Asian (0.8%)

Pacific Islander (< 0.1%)

White (52.0%)

Black or African American (23.2%)

American Indian or Alaska Native (1.1)

Asian (0.8)

Native Hawaiin or Other Pacific Islander (>0.1%)

Multiple Races (6.9%)

Unknown (16.0%) 5,192 

Offenders

Offenders by Race: A

5,192

offenders

Unknown (16.0%)

Multiple races (6.9%)

> 53.0% of victims of violent hate crimes in 2012 

knew the offender C

17.8

31.6

8.6

Percentage of hate crime incidents identified by law 

enforcement by location A

Parking lot, garage

Road, alley, sidewalk

In or near residence

School, college

6.3 3.7 3.6 1.8

26.7

Restaurant, bar, nightclub

House of worship

Other/Multiple locations

Government or public building

Anti-LGBT (mixed group) 

(24.4%)

Anti-gay (56.3%)

Anti-lesbian (13.9%)

Anti-bisexual (3.8%)

Anti-heterosexual (1.5%)

anti-black or African America

anti-white (22.7%)

anti-Asian (6.2%)

anti-American Indian/Alaska 

pacific islander

multiple 3,277 

of Rac

3,277

victims of

racial bias

Anti-White (22.7%)

Anti-Black (62.7%)

Anti-Asian (6.2%)

Anti-American Indian/

Alaska Native (4.6%)

Anti-Pacific Islander (0.1%)

Victims by 

Racial Bias of Offender: A

Anti-multiple races (3.7%)

anti-Jewish (56.8%)

anti-Islamic (16.1%)

anti-Catholic (6.1%)

anti-Protestant (2.5%)

anti-Aetheist/Agnostic

anti-other religions (11.0)

anti-multiple religions (6.2

1,140 

victims of

religious 

bias

1,140

victims of

religious bias

Anti-Islamic (16.1%)

Anti-Jewish (56.8%)

Anti-Catholic (6.1%)

Anti-Protestant (2.5%)

Anti-athiest/agnostic (1.2%)

Anti-multiple religions 

(6.2%)

Other religions (11.0%)

Victims by 

Religious Bias of Offender: A

gay mixed lesbian bi 

1,248

victims of

sexualorientation 

bias

Victims by 

Sexual-Orientation 

Bias of Offender: A
NOTES

*Crimes against society represent societal 

prohibitions against certain activities, including 

gambling, prostitution, and drug violations.

**Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or 

HIV-affected

SOURCES

A Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2014 Hate Crime 

Statistics, (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Justice, 2015), https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/

ucr/hate-crime/2014/home

B Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and 

HIV-Affected Hate Violence in 2014, (NY: National 

Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, 2015), http://

www.avp.org/storage/documents/Reports/2014_

HV_Report-Final.pdf

C Meagan Meuchel Wilson, Hate Crime 

Victimization, 2004−2012, (Washington, DC: 

Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of 

Justice, 2014), http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/

pdf/hcv0412st.pdf

Hate and Bias Crime continued

People who are LGBTQH reported to the National Coalition of 

Anti-Violence Programs:**B

> 1,359 incidents of hate violence

> including 20 homicides

Of total incidents, 54.2% are reported 

to law enforcement B

Gay men are 1.4x more likely to report hate violence to 

police compared to other LGBTQH victims B

Simple assault (37.4%)

Intimidation (43.1%)

Aggravated assault (19.0%)

Rape, homicide, other (0.4%)

4,048

crimes 

against

persons

63.1% were crimes 

against persons

Among the 6,418 hate crime offenses:A

0.8% were crimes 

against society*

36.1% were crimes

against property

Larceny-theft (10.3%)

Property damage, vandalism (73.1%)

Burglary (7.0%)

Robbery (5.3%)

Arson (1.1%)

2,317

crimes 

against

property

Other (2.2%)

Motor-vehicle theft (0.9%)

Destruction/Damage/Vandalism (73.1%)

Larceny-Theft (10.3%)

Burglary (7.0%)

Robbery (5.3%)

Arson (1.1%)

Motor vehicle Theft (0.9%)

Other (2.2%) 2,317 

property 

offenses

intimidation

simple assault

agg assault

rape, homicide, other