As table one indicates, the vast majority of these crimes are perpetrated by young white males and in only rare instances is the perpetrator African American. It is clear that college is a time when young persons search for identity. This takes the form of discovering and exploring issues of sexuality and ethnic identity. The exploration of both of these are displayed in popular media in the 1995 film Higher Learning , in which the white protagonist is fed a steady diet of racial hatred that eventually erupts to campus violence that causes the deaths of several students. Although fictionalized, the theme of the film is not that far from the truth of current hate crimes plaguing American campuses.
Campuses are places for organizing politically for several causes.
In the 1990s, they have often been the recruiting farms for hate inspired groups ranging from neo-Nazis to the Ku Klux Klan. In most instances, campus administrators are caught off guard when these incidents occur. No patterns generally emerge when it comes to campus hate crimes. There is a consensus by many law enforcement agencies that these crimes are proportionate to the percentage of fraternity members on campus. Thus, the higher the percentage of fraternity membership, the greater potential for hate crimes.