RESEARCH ON HATE

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This brief research was done in response to an instance of racial graffiti. (article):

Links to information within this page.:

• From the FBI's site
• From the Maryland Commission on Human Relations
• From the American Psychological Association
• From the News
• Other Resources for you to combat racism and other hate crimes in Prince George's County

“Racist graffiti also begins to appear in areas where skinheads loiter.” (part of Stage 4 copied below)
The Seven-Stage Hate Model
The Psychopathology of Hate Groups

“The manifestations of hate are legion, but the hate process itself remains elusive.”

“Limited research in this field precluded the development of a comprehensive hate model. Understanding hate groups is essential for the development and implementation of successful intervention strategies, which depend on an understanding of the hate process. The proposed hate model consists of seven stages, including how hate groups define themselves, how hate groups target their victims and taunt them with verbal insults and offensive gestures, and how hate groups attack their victims with or without weapons.”

Stage 1: The Haters Gather
Stage 2: The Hate Group Defines Itself
Stage 3: The Hate Group Disparages the Target
Stage 4: The Hate Group Taunts the Target
Stage 5: The Hate Group Attacks the Target Without Weapons
Stage 6: The Hate Group Attacks the Target with Weapons
Stage 7: The Hate Group Destroys the Target

Certainly this racial graffiti does not mean that there is a skin-head-type group in the area, but it does indicate that there is at least one hateful person and possibly more.

From the Maryland Commission on Human Relations

WHAT IS A HATE CRIME?

A Hate Crime is an act that appears to be completely or partly motivated by race, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation or disability. To be considered a hate incident, the act is not required to be a crime under any federal, state, or local statute. Vandalism to any place of worship, assault on an individual, the bombing of a building – each of these examples can be a hate crime – if it meets any one of the following criteria:

•  Racial, religious or ethnic statements are made during the incident

•  Hate group symbols are displayed;

•  The motive of a crime is to harm, injure or intimidate a particular group or organization

•  The victim perceives it to be a hate crime

HOW CAN I HELP PREVENT HATE CRIMES?

•  Work to strengthen and improve hate crime laws at the State and National level;

•  Offer assistance by working with victims of hate crimes;

•  Learn how to educate your community about hate crimes.

Why we dislike, stereotype, and hate other groups and what to do about it... by the American Psychological Association is a good web site to read. I especially like the Ten Things You Can Do To Fight Prejudice and Racism.

NEWS ARTICLES (from Prince George's Co. & surrounding counties - reverse chronological order)

Charles county racial graffiti incident – Washington Post April 2, 2005

St. Mary’s Co.: Hundreds at Gathering Condemn Racial Epithets – Washington Post March 25, 2005

Bowie Hate Crime Investigated – Washington Post Jan. 6, 2005

Other hate crimes in & near Prince George’s Co.:

Croxx-burning at Islamic Mosque in College Park reported by The Washington Post July 25, 2003

Two Pakistanis were killed in District Heights reported by New American Media July 16, 2003

 The Baltimore Sun, April 23, 2003:
" Three recent acts of vandalism - graffiti depicting swastikas, racial slurs and death threats - have alarmed parents and students, triggered a police investigation and prompted administrators to try to calm fears at South River High School, a predominantly white school of more than 2,000 students in southern Anne Arundel County."

I found several references for school policies about racial slurs, graffiti, and harassment in or on school property, but not a lot about what local communities can do. Here are some resources that are available.:

AntiRacism-PG Email list to discuss this issue

Your local civic association

Prince George's County Civic Federation

Prince George's County Office of Community Relations

Maryland ACLU

Resources on History of Racism and Racial Integration in Prince George's County, Maryland

Resources to Educate Your Community About Racism

ADORE, A Dialog on Race and Ethnicity taking place monthly in Camp Springs, Maryland

New -> Civic Associations in Prince George's County

Looking for Prince George's County History? Click here for PGHistory.org
Looking for the official Prince George's County web site? click here