Victim Experiences in Hate Crimes Based on Sexual Orientation

• Published in: Journal of social issues Vol. 58; no. 2; pp. 319 - 339
• Main Authors: Herek, Gregory M., Cogan, Jeanine C., Gillis, J. Roy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, USA and Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishers Inc 2002; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: California; Hate Crime; Hate crimes; Homophobia; Law enforcement; Public opinion; Sex Role Orientations; Sexual orientation discrimination; Victimization; Victims
• ISSN: 0022-4537; 1540-4560
• DOI: 10.1111/1540-4560.00263

Using interview data from a convenience sample of 450 lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults, the varieties of victim experiences in hate crimes based on sexual orientation are described. Most crimes were perpetrated in public settings by one or more strangers, but victimization also occurred in other locales, and perpetrators included neighbors, coworkers, and relatives. In deciding whether a crime was based on their sexual orientation, victims tended to rely primarily on contextual cues and perpetrators’ explicit statements. Victims’ concerns about police bias and public disclosure of their sexual orientation were important factors in deciding whether to report antigay crimes, as were beliefs about the crime’s severity and the likelihood that perpetrators would be punished.