Anti-Asian Hate Crimes: Perceptions of Fear and Fear of Victimization

• In Event: An Exploration of Asian-American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victimization Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice Sciences

Abstract

Since the detection of the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China in late 2019, there have been clear social, political, and economic consequences around the world, including a rise in anti-Asian xenophobia (Reny & Barreto, 2022) and hate crimes against people who are Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) in the United States (DeCook & Yoon, 2021). Recent research suggests that political rhetoric and social media sharing have constructed a narrative linking East Asia and the pandemic (Gover et al., 2020; Tessler et al., 2020). While the responses have included moral support, social movements, and federal legislation, the nature of hate crimes may lead to an increased fear of crime among Asian American people. This presentation will offer early findings from a mixed-methods study including survey and interview/focus group data on fear of victimization among AAPI respondents, as well as perceptions of hate crimes among all respondents. By providing within- and between-group differences of fear and perceptions, the study may provide meaningful insights about the effects of anti-AAPI hate crimes in the United States to better understand the ways that such individual and social harms can shape fear and perceptions of crime.

Authors

• Austyn Carson, Saint Vincent College

• Kristopher Kell, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Sarah E. Daly, Saint Vincent College