Effects of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation on the Experience of Hate Crimes in Chicago

Megan Conrad, M.A.Kyle Jones, M.A.Alicia Matthews, Ph.D. Paul Schewe, Ph.D.

Overview• Background

• Purpose of this research

• Research design

• Results

• Discussion

• Implications for policy

Background

•Hate crime: motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice

•73% of hate crimes involve violence, compared with 23% of all other crimes

•Racial bias is the most frequently reported hate crime motivation

Chicago Police Department, 2008

Background•When race is relevant, almost immediate and

uniform characterization as a hate crime▫Ricky Birdsong and James Byrd, Jr.

•Crimes against LGBT individuals do not always get classified as hate crimes

•Massive underreporting of hate crimes against LGBT individuals to law enforcement, but not community-based organizations

Background•Hate crimes against transgendered individuals

typically grouped with those against LGB people

•Different for several reasons:▫Characterized by increased severity and sexual

assault▫ Judicial and services system is gender binary

Crime committed against biological male not generally considered a hate crime

Gender-based services limit help transgender victims can receive

Gordon & Meyer, 2007; Stotzer, 2009; Taylor, 2007

Background•Transwomen have been the target of

escalating rates of violence

•Being an ethnic minority confers additional vulnerability to violence

•Almost complete “motivational silence” when victim is transgendered person of color▫Lateisha Green, Ty’lia Mack, and Sidney Wright▫Was it the victim’s gender presentation or race

that inspired the violence?

Meyer (2010)

Purpose of this Research•Aim #1: Develop a more complete picture of

hate crimes against the LGBT community in Chicago

•Aim #2: Illustrate the specific violence that transgendered individuals face

•Aim #3: Report to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations to shape policy decisions as they affect LGBT people and LGBT people of color

Research Design

•Retrospective cross-sectional and descriptive design

•Data sources: Anti-Violence Project at the Center of Halsted (COH) and the Chicago Police Department (CPD)

•Supporting organization: Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR)

Anti-Violence Project at the COH•Provides crisis support and ongoing services

for LGBTQ, queer, questioning, and HIV-affected survivors of abuse and violence

•Has specific counseling, incident reporting assistance, and court accompaniment services

•Collects standardized information from victim’s report of violence as part of National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs

Chicago Police Department

•Collects and aggregates information on all reported crimes

•Has become increasingly interested in collecting sexual identity information from both perpetrators and victims of crimes

Chicago Commission on Human Relations•Enforces the Chicago Human Rights and

Chicago Fair Housing Ordinances

•Investigates claims of discrimination

•Provides aid to hate crime victims

•Employs education and mediation programs to decrease violence and bigotry in partnership with communities

Results – COH 2010  N %

Total Reports 159 100

Case Type Bias Sexual assault Domestic violence Pick-up Not classified Police misconduct Murder

 54 3 73 3 24 9 4

 34.01.945.91.915.15.72.5

Community Area Bridgeport Edgewater Englewood Humboldt Park Hyde Park Lakeview Portage Park Rogers Park South Chicago Unknown Uptown West Garfield Park

 1111141311971

 0.60.60.60.60.62.50.61.90.611.94.40.6

Results – COH 2010  N %

Caller Identity Family Friend Institutional victim representative Lover/partner Not entered Other Perpetrator/batterer Service provider Unknown Victim Witness

 791311111825812

 4.45.70.61.90.66.90.611.315.750.91.3

Results – COH 2010  N %Crimes and Offenses Abduction/kidnapping Arson Assault (no weapon) Assault (with weapon) Attempted assault with weapon Discrimination Domestic violence Drugging Email harassment Extortion/blackmail Intimidation Larceny/burglary/theft Mail/literature harassment Murder Police raid Rape Robbery Sexual assault Sexual harassment Telephone harassment Unjustified arrest Vandalism Verbal harassment

 113411313535122551316217221327

 0.60.621.46.91.98.233.33.10.61.315.73.10.61.90.63.81.310.71.31.30.61.917.0

Results – COH 2010  N %Bias/Motive Anti-immigrant Anti-transgender Disability Domestic violence Economic Heterosexist/anti-LGBTQ HIV/AIDS related Racist/ethnic Religious Sexist No apparent bias Unknown

 1815213051121010

 0.65.00.632.70.618.93.10.60.61.36.36.3

Domestic Violence(DV) Crimes and Offenses Physical abuse Economic abuse HIV related/medical abuse Homo-/bi-phobia Isolation Psychological/emotional abuse Threats Transphobia Use of children Use of pets

 341523184515641

 21.49.41.31.911.328.39.43.82.50.6

Results – COH 2010  N %

Incident Reporting Complaint taken No arrest Offender arrested Victim/client arrested Police refused to take complaint Not reported to police Will report to police Victim and offender arrested Unknown

  261643247150

  16.410.12.51.915.14.40.631.4

Bias/DV Classification Attempting to get bias classification Attempting to get DV classification No classification available Not reported by victim as bias Not reported by victim as DV Reported and classified as bias Reported and classified as DV Reported as DV but classification refused Unknown

 41921491128

 2.50.65.71.30.62.55.70.680.5

Results – COH 2010  N %

Police Involved City/municipal County

 431

 270.6

Police Attitude Courteous Indifferent Other deterrent behavior Other deterrent speech Physically abusive (no slurs) Physically abusive (with slurs) Unknown Verbally abusive (no slurs) Verbally abusive (with slurs)

 1310111112813

 8.26.30.60.60.60.680.50.61.9

Police Order Obtained By victim By offender Not sought Unknown

 813177

 5.00.619.548.4

Results – COH 2010 Summary• Heterosexist/anti-LGBTQ bias was most common

motive for hate crime▫ Assault (no weapon), verbal harassment,

intimidation, and sexual assault were most common types of crime

• Domestic violence was most prevalent crime overall

• Caller was usually the victim or a service provider, when known

• Most often not reported to police or reported with no arrest

Results – CPD 2010-2012  N %

Case Type Nationalistic Racial Religious Sexual Orientation

 186427 54

 1139.316.633.1

Yearly Breakdown 2010 2011 2012

 546346

 33.138.728.2

Victim Age 13 - 18 19 - 30 31 - 40 41 - 50 51 - 60 61+ Not specified 

 21502313191124 

 12.930.714.18.011.76.714.7 

Results – CPD 2010-2012  N %

Victim Race Black Asian Pacific Islander Caucasian HispanicNot specified 

 635462128

 38.73.128.212.917.2 

Victim SexMFNot Specified

 1004122

 61.325.213.5

Results – CPD 2010-2012  N %Primary Crimes and Offenses Aggravated Assault: Empty Hands - Serious Aggravated Assault: Empty Hands – Not Serious Aggravated Assault: Handgun Aggravated Assault: Other Weapon Aggravated Assault: Senior Citizen Criminal Defacement Cyberstalking Harassment by electronic means Harassment by telephone Institutional Vandalism Mental Health Transport Mob Action Other Crimes Against Person Other Violation Simple Assault Strong Arm: No Weapon Telephone Threat Damage to City of Chicago Property Damage to Private Property Damage to Vehicle

 156181231322111159251187

 0.63.13.710.00.614.10.61.81.21.20.60.60.60.636.21.23.00.6114.3

Disposition Bona Fide Open Undetermined Unfounded

 4128733

 25.21.253.420.2

Results – CPD 2010-2012 Summary•Crime most often motivated by racial or

sexual orientation bias

•Simple assault or criminal defacement were most common

•Victims were most often aged 19-30, Black or Caucasian, and male

•Case status is undetermined for most complaints

Discussion

•Aim #1: Develop a more complete picture of hate crimes against the LGBT community in Chicago▫ COH

Assault (no weapon), verbal harassment, intimidation, and sexual assault

Domestic violence▫ CPD

Simple assault and defacement Ages 19-30, Black or Caucasian, and male Percentage attributed to sexual orientation

slightly higher than national average (33.1% vs. 20.8%)

Discussion

•Aim #2: Illustrate the specific violence that transgendered individuals face▫ COH: No victim demographics▫ CPD: Biological sex, but not gender

identity, available in the current data▫ Cannot make any conclusions regarding

violence specific to transgendered individuals

Discussion

•Aim #3: Report to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations to shape policy decisions as they affect LGBT people and LGBT people of color▫ Immediately organized quarterly meetings

to discuss hate crimes from these different perspectives• COH, CPD, CCHR, Anti-Defamation League,

UIC• Will continue as policy changes are made

Discussion

• Working relationships and access to data were crucial

• COH▫ Already de-identified, allowing for quick access▫ Part of a standardized national data collection effort▫ Most often reported by service providers, with hate

crime designation made by caller

• CPD▫ Sensitive nature of data required more time to gain

access▫ Information obtained from actual case reports▫ Hate crime designation based on legal definition

Implications for Policy

•Conduct a community forum with major stakeholders to talk about hate crimes, resources, and reporting▫Necessary to increase education about

what a hate crime is and why victims should report them

•Publish information about this experience as well as the data (Windy City Times, peer-reviewed journal)

Implications for Policy

•Within LGBT community, domestic violence is an increasing concern

•Community awareness, outreach, and prevention/treatment services are needed

•Even more difficult to access for transwomen, who are often barred from women’s shelters

Thank you for your time and support!• Institute for Research on Race and Public

Policy

•COH: Lisa Gilmore, Director of Education and Victim Advocacy

•CPD: Timothy Lavery, Chief Operations Research Analyst; Sgt. Lori Cooper, Commanding Officer, Special Activities Section

•CCHR: Mona Noriega, Commissioner

ReferencesChicago Police Department. (2008). Hate crimes in Chicago: 2008

Annual Report. Chicago, IL.

Gordon, A., & Meyer, I.H. (2007). Gender nonconformity as a target of prejudice, discrimination, and violence against LGB individuals. Journal of LGBT Health Research, 3(3), 55-71.

Meyer, D. (2010). Evaluating the severity of hate-motivated violence: Intersectional differences among LGBT hate crime victims. Sociology, 44(5), 980-995.

Stotzer, R.L. (2009). Violence against transgender people: A review of the United States data. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 14, 170-179.

Taylor, J.K. (2007). Transgender identities and public policy in the United States: The relevance for public administration. Administration & Society, 39(7), 833-856.