Constructing Hate Crimes: Does Respondent's Racial/Ethnic Identity Matter?

This study examines how U.S. adults’ racial/ethnic identities influence their perception of racial/ethnic hate crimes, considering the races/ethnicities of offenders and victims. Using a factorial survey experiment with 2,021 participants from Mechanical Turk, the research finds that recognition of racial/ethnic hate crimes varies by the respondent’s identity and the racial/ethnic dynamics between offender and victim, with a notable Majority–Minority pattern influencing perceptions. While a three-way interaction among offender, victim, and respondent race/ethnicity was not significant, subgroup analyses reveal distinct recognition patterns between minority and non-Hispanic White respondents, partially explained by social identity theory’s concepts of ingroup favoritism and group image management. The study highlights the subjective nature of hate crime recognition and calls for improved hate crime reporting and data collection practices that account for identity-based perceptual biases to promote equitable justice outcomes.