About Hate Crimes

What is a Hate Crime?

A hate crime is an offense that is motivated in whole or substantial part by a belief or perception of a person’s, a group’s or a place’s identification with a particular, "race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation."

Hate crimes are subject to enhanced penalties because they have a different, greater impact. Hate crimes send a message to hate crime survivors that they have been targeted because of their personal identity. Not only does the individual survivor suffer, but the community that shares the survivor’s characteristics can also be impacted.

Hate crimes can also target the individual for multiple aspects of their complex identity, since characteristics, beliefs, and other facets intersect (e.g., someone can be targeted for being both openly gay and Muslim.)

Hate crimes are underreported by the public, especially by vulnerable communities, for many reasons.

Download the 'What Is A Hate Crime' guide.

Guide also available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, Haitian-Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Tibetan, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yiddish

Laws Defining Hate Crimes

Resources

Information on Hate Symbols

Hate crimes are not limited to violent or physical attacks. Hateful symbols can also create pain and fear within vulnerable communities. In New York, some hate-motivated symbols can result in hate crime charges in addition to the underlying committed crime.

About Hate Crimes

What is a Hate Crime?

Laws Defining Hate Crimes

Local Laws on Hate Crimes

State Laws on Hate Crimes

Federal Laws on Hate Crimes

Resources

Information on Hate Symbols