Citation

Gerstenfeld PB. Behav. Sci. Law 1992; 10(2): 259-285.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/bsl.2370100209

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

During the last several years, many jurisdictions have enacted laws meant to punish behavior motivated by racial hatred or other forms of bigotry. The actual impact of these laws is probably largely symbolic. These laws, which are often called "hate crime" laws, have a number of problems. Hate crime laws may violate the constitution, but this problem can usually be avoided through careful drafting. More importantly, there are a number of practical and policy problems with hate crime laws; not only are these crimes difficult to identify, but they involve the problematical consideration of the offender's motive. In addition, social scientific theories suggest that the laws may actually increase bigotry and disempower minorities. For these reasons, it is recommended that policy-makers explore other means of reducing bigotry.

Language: en