Part Three - Challenging prejudice: combating hate offending

Summary

Over the last twenty years or so the focus of much scholarly endeavour in the field of hate crime has been on the complexities of hate-related victimisation, including its nature, frequency and impact across a range of minority communities. This laudable pursuit has helped to develop more nuanced understandings of the process of victimisation and its malign effects. However, until recently comparatively little research has been undertaken into how to combat the prejudice that fuels this behaviour, or how policing policies and practices can be developed that provide an effective and empathetic service for those who are victimised.

Part Three showcases some recent research into new initiatives in the area of challenging offending behaviour which has helped to redress this imbalance. Barbara Perry and D. Ryan Dyck begin this section with an account of how scholars and activists can work in successful partnership in the development and use of an educational resource that challenges homophobic and transphobic prejudice in the Canadian context. Perry and Dyck describe how the resource, including a documentary, proved to be effective in raising awareness of the harms of these forms of hate while also providing a degree of affirmation for lesbian,gay, bisexual, trans, queer audience members. Following this, Gail Mason, Jude McCulloch and JaneMaree Maher reflect on their own research into the effectiveness of the policing of hate crime in Australia via a case study of their research partnership with Victoria Police. The authors emphasise the importance of developing a shared understanding of the nature of prejudice motivated crime between academics and the criminal justice system to the formation of effective policing responses to it. Zoë James then outlines the types of harassment and violence experienced by Gypsies and Travellers; communities that are themselves often marginalised from mainstream discussions of hate crime. Zoë suggests that some of the sedentarist prejudices that influence this hate-related behaviour also inform some of the policing policies that can therefore fail to provide the kind of support needed by victims of targeted violence within those communities.

The last two chapters share some common themes as both examine the effectiveness of different methods of working with hate crime offenders through restorative interventions.