Does hate crime victimization lead to neighborhood withdrawal? Examining neighborhood participation for hate crime victims, non-hate victims and non-victims

• In Event: Hate Crime Victimization

Abstract

Studies have demonstrated that hate crime victimization has harmful effects for individuals. When compared to victims of non-hate crime, hate crime victims report intensified feelings of anger, anxiety, alienation, poor concentration and loss of self-confidence due to the targeted nature of the incident. Emerging evidence also suggests that experiencing or even witnessing hate crime may have a detrimental effect on an individual’s participation in community life. Small scale qualitative studies reveal that hate crime victims feel rejected by the community and in turn engage in lower levels of neighbouring and civic behavior. Using census data combined with two waves of survey data from 6059 residents living across 148 neighborhoods in Brisbane, Australia, this study examines the extent to which residents that report hate crime differ in their participation in community life when compared to victims of non-hate crime or those who have not been victimized. Results from multivariate multilevel regression modelling indicate that there are important differences in patterns of neighborhood participation across these three groups.

Author

• Kathryn Benier, University of Queensland