When Words Alone Don’t Suffice: Employing a Systematic Approach in Measuring Offender Bias Motivation

Abstract

The challenge of determining bias motivation in hate crime offenders was examined with the Bias Motivation Profile-Revised (BMP-R), a rating guide that measures behavioral, historical, and ideological indicators of suspect motivation to commit a hate crime. In review of 551 hate crime cases, the BMP-R rating criteria revealed adequate external validity in classifying hate crimes from non-hate motivated crimes and non-criminal “hate incidents”, as independently determined by crime investigators. The BMP-R criteria were related to offender pre-meditation, and revealed a significant predictive relationship to hate crimes involving violence to the person. Offender differences on the BMP-R were noted for gender and age, with modest race/ethnic differences being observed. These findings illustrate the importance of examining bias motivation in terms of an array of criteria, independent of the element of hate speech, in the assessment of hate crime offenders....

Read More!

Psychological and Behavioral Effects of Bias and Non-Bias Motivated Assault, Final Report

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to determine if measurable differences exist in the psychological and behavioral sequelae of individuals who have experienced an aggravated assault differentiated by the offender motive (i.e., bias or non-bias). Obtaining more reliable information in this area would support the development of more informed law and policy relative to the extra-detrimental effects a specific type of criminal offense may have on citizens. The research was based on police department criminal incident reports, probation records and victim surveys. Records were collected and analyzed for victims of aggravated assaults in Boston during the 1992- 1997 period. The sample of 560 bias-motivated assault victims and 544 non-bias assault victims yielded 136 valid surveys. Sixteen psychological and 12 behavioral indicators were examined while controlling for the effects of 7 independent aspects between the two victim groups (i.e., bias vs. non bias motivated, s/e factors, medical treatment, family support, quality of police

Read More!