In 2021, 10,840 hate crime incidents involving 12,411 offenses were reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI. Hate crimes continue to be on the rise, with more than half of the victims never filing a complaint with the authorities in the first place. A hate crime is an act of violence motivated by bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity.
Hate crimes have a broader effect than most other kinds of violent crime. A hate crime victimizes not only the immediate target but also impacts every member of the group that the direct victim represents. Hate crimes affect families, communities and sometimes the entire nation.
Potential effects of trauma
Some people who have been victims of crime may experience some of these symptoms. Seek medical advice if the symptoms persist.
Physical
Nausea
Dizziness
Chills or sweating
Lack of coordination or tremors
Heart palpitations or chest pain
Headaches
Sleep disturbances
Stomach upset or loss of appetite
Startled responses
Emotional
Anxiety
Fear
Guilt
Grief
Depression or sadness
Anger or irritability
Numbness
Feeling lost, abandoned or isolated
Wanting to withdraw or hide
Mental
Slowed thinking or an inability to concentrate
Confusion or disorientation
Memory problems
Intrusive memories or flashbacks
Nightmares
Difficulty in making decisions
Tips for coping
Here are some ideas that may help you cope with the trauma or loss:
Find someone to talk with about how you feel and what you are going through. Keep the phone number of a good friend nearby to call when you feel overwhelmed or feel panicked.
Allow yourself to feel the pain. It will not last forever.
Spend time with others, as well as make time to spend alone.
Take care of your mind and body. Rest, sleep and eat regular, healthy meals.
Make daily decisions and re-establish a normal routine as soon as possible, which will help to bring back a feeling of control over your life.
Exercise, though not excessively, and alternate with periods of relaxation.
Undertake daily tasks with care. Accidents are more likely to happen after you have experienced severe stress. Don’t overdo things if you aren’t feeling up to it.
Recall the things that helped you cope during trying times and losses in the past, and think about the things that give you hope. Turn to them on bad days.
Some things to avoid include:
Be careful about using alcohol or drugs to relieve emotional pain. Becoming addicted not only postpones healing but also creates new problems.
Make daily decisions but avoid making life-changing decisions in the immediate aftermath since judgment may be temporarily impaired.
Don’t blame yourself -- it wasn’t your fault.
Try not to bottle up your emotions since they need to be expressed.
For some hate crime victims and families of victims, life is forever changed. Life doesn’t “mean” what it used to. Part of coping and adjusting is redefining the future. What seemed important before may not be as important now. It is essential to remember that emotional pain is not endless and that it will eventually ease. It is impossible to undo what has happened, but life can be good again in time.
Tips for family and friends
You can help a loved one that has been a victim of a hate crime by doing the following:
Spend time with the victim and be there to just listen when they open up to you about their experiences.
Offer your assistance, even if they haven’t asked for help.
Help with everyday tasks, like cleaning, caring for family or taking care of the children.
Don’t take their anger or other feelings personally.
Give them time to be alone and decompress.
Don’t tell them they are “lucky it wasn’t worse” –- traumatized people are not consoled by such statements.
Tell them you are sorry such an event has occurred to them and that you want to understand and help them with whatever they need.
Tips for parents
Help your child regain control of their life by maintaining a normal routine. Whenever possible, give your child choices. Even simple things like choosing where to eat or what to wear can help a child feel more in control. Of course, there are always decisions that you must make for your child’s wellbeing but listen when your child says they do not feel safe.
Some additional ways you can help them include:
Do not question your child. It is important to listen and then notify law enforcement personnel. Seeking information is a natural reaction. However, it could cause undue stress and interfere with the investigation.
Do not blame your child. A child is never responsible for the actions of the offender. Remind them that you love them.
Do not correct anything your child tells you about the incident. They may have a difficult time describing what happened or putting it into words. Respond by saying, “I’m really glad you told me that,” or, “Thank you for telling me that,” but don’t correct them about specific details.
Be careful about making promises. You are not in a position to promise what will or will not happen to the offender. Also, don’t promise rewards for your child’s cooperation in the investigation.
Be specific. Let your child know it is important to talk about what happened and to tell the truth. It is normal for them to feel nervous. Let them know that they are not in trouble and didn’t do anything wrong.
Keep your feelings under control while you’re in your child’s presence. Expressing anger, shock or judgment can make your child feel ashamed. Showing anger even towards the offender can scare a child or make the kid think they did something wrong. Also, don’t try to confront the offender in or out of your child’s presence. Let law enforcement deal with the offender.
When something like this happens, your child may have behavioral and emotional changes that affect their relationships, daily activities and moods. A counselor or therapist can help give ideas and resources to help you and your child deal with these emotions.
You can get help
If you believe you are the victim of a hate crime or believe you witnessed a hate crime:
Step one: Report the crime to your local police.
Step two: Quickly follow up the report with a tip to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Thousands of programs provide services and sanctuary to crime victims throughout the United States. They are part of state government agencies and private nonprofit, faith-based and charitable organizations.
Crime victim assistance programs provide a range of services, including crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter, criminal justice advocacy and emergency transportation. Although compensation and assistance are provided most often to individuals, in certain instances, entire communities may be eligible for assistance in cases of multiple victimizations. You can obtain information about compensation and assistance through your local prosecutor’s office.
Source: The U.S. Department of Justice and Office for Victims of Crime
