The Consequences of Hate Crime Victimization: Considering Prejudicial Attitudes as an Outcome of Interracial Bias-Motivated Conflict

Abstract

Objectives: While extant research has largely framed prejudicial attitudes as a precursor to hate crime offending, the current research considers the possibility that negative outgroup attitudes may also be an important consequence of hate crime victimization as well. Methods: Using survey data from 3,183 respondents across the United States, this research employs a series of regression models to examine the relationship between hate crime victimization and three different types of prejudicial attitudes: anti-Asian xenophobia, anti-Hispanic xenophobia, and anti-Black prejudice. Results: Results indicate that hate crime victimization is significantly and positively associated with all three prejudicial attitudes, such that those who experienced a hate crime are more likely to report higher levels of anti-Asian xenophobia (b = .455; p < .001), anti-Hispanic xenophobia (b = .408; p < .001), and anti-Black prejudice (b = .360; p < .001). Results also indicate that these patterns are both offender race-specific and stronger for more recent victimization, compared to less recent victimization. Conclusions: When interpreting these results within a pattern matching framework, we argue that they suggest important initial evidence that prejudice may not be just a precursor to hate crime offending, but also a possible consequence of hate crime victimization, thus implying a potentially cyclical relationship between intergroup offending and victimization that should be the subject of future research.