Responding to Hate Crime: A Multidisciplinary Curriculum for Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance Professionals

Bias crimes seriously threaten our democratic society, which is built on the strength of its diversity. These crimes represent a particularly heinous form of violence, in which thousands of Americans are victimized each year because of their skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Growing concern exists around the country, in communities large and small, urban, suburban, and rural, about the prevalence of bias crime. Swift and effective investigation, prosecution, and response to these crimes is critical for developing and maintaining both respect for and appreciation of the growing diversity of our country’s citizens.

This training package builds on the best efforts and practices to date, identified by national experts in law enforcement, victim assistance, and hate crime prevention and response. This curriculum differs from others in that it is intended for a multidisciplinary training audience, including law enforcement officers, victim advocates, and community-based organizations. It was field-tested to ensure its relevance to both victim assistance and law enforcement professionals and its user-friendliness. The results are reflected in the approach and materials presented here in this curriculum.