The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released its annual hate crime statistics data, indicating that crimes motivated by religious bias–which for years have remained steady at 1 in 5 of all hate crimes–were narrowly passed in 2011 by crimes based on sexual-orientation bias.
The FBI recorded 6,222 criminal incidents http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/182889861.html"as a result of bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, or physical or mental disability" in 2011.
The plurality of those incidents–46.9 percent–were racially motivated, followed by 20.8 percent motivated by sexual orientation and 19.8 percent motivated by religion. Incidents of religious bias had previously outnumbered incidents of sexual-orientation bias since at least 1995 (summary below).
Overall, the total number of hate crimes reported is down 6 percent over the past year.
Of the anti-religious incidents, "771 of those were anti-Jewish; 157 were anti-Islamic; 67 were anti-Catholic; 44 were anti-Protestant; and 4 were anti-Atheist or Agnostic. Fully 130, however, involved bias against other religions," including Sikhism and Hinduism.
The Anti-Defamation League applauded the overall decrease in annual hate crimes, but called the high percentage of anti-Jewish crimes "troubling ... showing, once again, that anti-Semitism is still a serious and deeply entrenched problem in America," according to a press release.
CT has previously reported on hate crimes, including Christian groups' responses to a federal hate crimes bill in 2009.
From the FBI:
Of the 6,216 single-bias incidents reported in 2011:
46.9 percent were racially motivated.
20.8 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
19.8 percent were motivated by religious bias.
Of the 6,624 single-bias incidents reported in 2010:
47.3 percent were racially motivated.
20.0 percent were motivated by religious bias.
19.3 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 6,598 single-bias incidents reported in 2009:
48.5 percent were motivated by racial bias.
19.7 percent resulted from religious bias.
18.5 percent were linked to sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,780 single-bias incidents reported in 2008:
• 51.3 percent were racially motivated.
• 19.5 percent were motivated by religious bias.
• 16.7 percent stemmed from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,621 single-bias incidents reported in 2007:
50.8 percent were racially motivated.
18.4 percent were motivated by religious bias.
16.6 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,720 single-bias incidents reported in 2006:
51.8 percent were racially motivated.
18.9 percent were motivated by religious bias.
15.5 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,160 single-bias incidents reported in 2005:
54.7 percent were racially motivated.
17.1 percent were motivated by religious bias.
14.2 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,642 single-bias incidents reported in 2004:
52.9 percent were racially motivated.
18.0 percent were motivated by religious bias.
15.7 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,485 single-bias incidents reported in 2003:
51.4 percent were racially motivated.
17.9 percent were motivated by religious bias.
16.6 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,462 single-bias incidents reported in 2002:
48.8 percent were racially motivated.
19.1 percent were motivated by religious bias.
16.7 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 9,730 single-bias incidents reported in 2001:
44.9 percent were racially motivated.
18.8 percent were motivated by religious bias.
14.3 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 8,055 single-bias incidents reported in 2000:
53.8 percent were racially motivated.
18.3 percent were motivated by religious bias.
16.1 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,876 incidents reported in 1999:
55 percent were racially motivated.
18 percent were motivated by religious bias.
17 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 7,755 incidents reported in 1998:
4,321 were racially motivated.
1,390 were motivated by religious bias.
1,260 resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 8,049 incidents reported in 1997:
4,710 were racially motivated.
1,385 were motivated by religious bias.
1,102 resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
Of the 8,759 incidents reported in 1996:
5,396 were racially motivated.
1,401 were motivated by religious bias.
1,016 resulted from sexual-orientation bias.
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