The definition of crime must encompass clearly the individual and the nature of the social behavior. When clearly defined a crime becomes understandable to social control agencies and its agents. It can also delineate methods which these individual can use to deal with the behavior. A clearly defined crime also identifies why the behavior is important to the social order. A clear definition of crime does more than reflect the attributes of the individual involved in the behavior it also provides a clear definition, which underscores the importance of its causes and the need for control.
Hate crimes are behaviors which are irrationally motivated by a victim's race, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, gender, and nationality. This behavior is defined in at least nine different ways in seven different nations. Not only is this behavior defined differently internationally, it is explained differently nationally, regionally, intrastate, county, and in varying urban areas. For example, they have been described as hate crimes, hate motivated crimes, bias crimes, bias-motivated crimes and ethnic-violence. These various terms often feed community divisiveness, especially in racially charged times, therefore the police in several urban departments have created the label possible bias crimes in an effort to contain media attention and hostile reactions from special interest groups (Bartollas & Miller, 1994).
Racism as distinguished from race, is not a fact of life, but an ideology, and the deeds it leads to are not reflective actions, but deliberate acts based on pseudo-scientific theories. Violence in interracial struggles is always murderous, but it is not irrational, it is the natural consequence of racism. Race prejudice, no matter how reprehensible in itself, is a profoundly human phenomenon. It is a reflection of our thoughts, actions and justification in our efforts to achieve ends. We are biased by our own purposes, and in......
