Negative Impact of Hate Crimes in Canada

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Google (2014) states, “a hate crime is a crime that is motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice, typically one involving violence.” Hate crimes in Canada have negatively impacted our society in political, social, economic and cultural forums. In Canada we have to freedom to hate, the primary question that is raised is to what extent? Hate crimes do harm individuals and groups, and there should be a limit. As when an individual infringes upon ones safety his or her rights can be provoked. Hate crime victimization is a broad concept within hate crimes, it sheds light on occurrences and prejudice certain groups and individuals face, due to there background and identity (Chakraborti, 2012, p.1). Another area that is questionable within the topic of hate crimes within Canada is if hate speech should be considered a crime. Hate speech is often the route cause to why an individual commits a crime/violent act. You can predict how an individual is going to act based on the type of verbal interaction her or she took part in. In addition to this, hate crimes on Canadian campuses have risen (Perry, 2011, p.321). Perry also concluded that factors such as: race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion all play factors in the perpetration of the hate crime against Canadian students (p.321). Hate crimes have always been a problem within our societies’;. This has caused a debate for and against, why the gender category should be included within the hate crime model. Two police reports based on hate crimes in Canada were conducted, in one in 2010 and on one 2011. These reports shared reliable statics clearly demonstrating that minority groups are targets of these hate crimes. In addition, there will be observations on hate crime that occ...

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...o move up in the social stratification ladder they are victimized by dominant groups. There is data gathered by Statistics Canada that show minority groups are the primary groups facing hate crimes within Canada. One key question that is repeatedly being raised is if hate speech should be a crime. Hate speech is what triggers individuals to act in an unlawfully manner, resulting in them committing a variation of offenses including hate crimes (Greenspan, 2004, p.4). Police have been putting their best efforts forward when it comes to policing and controlling this issue. Yet, they will always be faced with the challenge that is inevitable that minority groups will be victimized. Hate crimes in Canada have been a problem in Canada’s history; governments and law agencies are approaching this problem and trying to neutralize it to the best of their ability.

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