Introduction

“Where we fail to acknowledge the harm caused by discrimination, hate and structural inequalities, we allow hate to grow and the impact on marginalized communities to deepen. Where we fail to protect the safety of marginalized people both online and in real life, especially during times of crisis, we push people out of those spaces and allow hate to flourish in their place. Where we fail to account for basic human needs for belonging and security, and where circumstances such as a pandemic lead to profound isolation, anxiety and fear, human connection and belonging may be found in the shared ideologies of hate rather than in compassion and when we don't hold people to account for the hate and discrimination they have perpetrated, we can never move to the important stages of forgiveness and resolution - either as individuals or as a society.”

from BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (2023). From hate to hope: Report of the inquiry into hate in the COVID-19 pandemic. p.17

It can often feel like our interconnected world has highlighted and worsened the toxicity that has existed in our communities and that the many ways we now possess to connect have become avenues to hurt one another. Although one may focus on the criminal event when exploring hate crimes, it is even more important to focus on the victims and helping them make sense of the crime and how it has impacted their life so they can move forward. In working with victims of hate crimes, this focus on the individual needs, culture and context is essential. Not only is the victim a target of the crime, but the perpetrator is specifically targeting what they see as the victim’s identity, community, or other characteristics that the perpetrator sees as unwanted. It is important to remember that this type of victimization is often experienced in the context of a history of marginalization, discrimination, and day-to-day prejudice, thus, the hate crime victimization can be just part of what harms the victim. The message being sent by a hate crime is: You do not belong. You are not welcome.

The personal/professional helping relationship can be even more delicate and important as both you and the victim face the impact of what has happened. There is no one-size-fits-all approach since support workers’ personal characteristics can also impact the quality of the relationship, depending upon the victim’s experience. If you are part of the group the victim sees as holding prejudicial views, or are perceived to be similar to the perpetrator, it could affect your professional relationship. Your personal biases and prejudices also require honest self-examination as you create genuine connections with victims. This may include frank discussions with your supervisors, mentors, cultural mentors, and the victim. For example, as a person perceived as a white male with a Doctorate living in Canada, my clients will make assumptions about my social class, history of power, privilege, sexuality, religious affiliation, and general life story. Whether these assumptions are accurate or not does not matter—my focus is on helping the client. I will readily acknowledge that I might remind victims of people who traumatized them or others in their group. Even though I am well-intentioned and trying to help, I have the potential to trigger their trauma response at any point in the relationship. The power imbalance that is part of requesting help may also trigger the victim or result in them not seeking help when needed. This chapter focuses on the issues that support workers need to consider when working with victims of hate and hate crime, including professional issues, the role of the internet, and treatment considerations. It also gives support workers some ideas about how to work with these groups of victims and help them reconnect to their lives.

Similar to the earlier edition of this chapter, hate crimes have been explored here as a whole and not broken down by victim characteristics that might be related to victimization (e.g., race, religion, sexual identity, etc.). There are special issues and elements related to each group, such as historical treatment, that cannot be done justice in this brief introduction. Furthermore, each group is diverse and can be sub-divided by different characteristics or subcultures that may experience different levels of prejudice and hate crime victimization (Cramer et al., 2018; Díaz-Faes & Pereda, 2022). As Funnell (2015; p. 80) stated: “the harms of victimization are physical, psychological and emotional; (sic) they are also social and they impact on each [person] differently.” For example, Orthodox Jews or those dealing with anti-Semitism and transgender individuals from the 2SLGBTQI+ community often face increased targeting and these differences must be understood and respected (Hein & Scharer, 2013; Herek et al.,2009; Hodge & Boddie, 2021). Thus, the information in this chapter needs to be used in conjunction with what victims share about their experiences to guide your work. The victim should guide your efforts.

This chapter takes a trauma-informed approach, recognizing that every individual has a trauma history which needs to be respected and considered in every interaction through a collaborative and transparent support relationship (Hansen et al., 2018; Klinic Community Health Centre, 2013). To provide good service to a victim it is essential to respect their lived experience by hearing and validating their history (Hansen, et al., 2018). This includes validating the impact of how previous generations have been treated (Gutiérrez, 2022; Perry, 2008; Perry & Scrivens, 2019), as well as their personal experiences. The goal of this chapter is to highlight issues that will likely be important in working with any victim who feels that prejudice or bias is part of their victimization. Educating yourself about these general issues is the beginning of providing good care (Hansen, et al., 2018). Support workers are strongly encouraged to pursue their own research and consult with community members (cultural mentors) to better understand issues specifically related to each victim’s needs and trauma history as part of helping them on their healing journey. Regardless of your role, collaboration, empowerment, compassion, and understanding are central to creating a healing interaction.

This chapter first focuses on the definition of hate crimes, to give support workers an idea of the scope of what might happen to victims. The chapter then moves to professional issues one should consider when working with any victim, but especially victims of hate crimes. This highlights general issues that support workers need to understand when dealing with sensitive issues around culture, prejudice, and society. In our current cultural context, one cannot ignore the role of the internet and social networks as a medium for hate and hate groups as well as supports for perpetrators. Finally, the chapter concludes with a focus on the psychological impact of being a hate crime victim, including suggestions on what support workers might do to help victims.