The Evolving World of Hate and Extremism

Abstract

A wide range of analysis by scholars across North America is presented in Volume 2 of this special issue examining hate and extremism.

In the article “Disrupting the Mantra of Multiculturalism: Hate Crime in Canada,” Barbara Perry draws on observations from 15 years of scholarly attention to the topic of hate crime. She argues convincingly that hate crimes are a serious threat to the various aspects Canadian multiculturalism. Perry’s research has shown that hate crimes are not just crimes motivated by individual prejudice; rather, they reflect the embedded power relations in the larger society. From this perspective, there are no single victims of hate crime; everyone who shares the particular characteristic of the ones attacked is also harmed. And the harms themselves are multi-leveled extending from the initial victim to the society as a whole. Perry concludes that the horrors of hate crimes can destroy the multicultural fabric of Canada (or any society). But they can also serve to stimulate dialogue and action that are consistent with the values of multiculturalism. She provides specific examples to strengthen this point.

In “Cerberus Unleashed: The Three Faces of the Lone Wolf Terrorist,” Mark Pitcavage of the Anti-Defamation League undertakes extensive analysis of lone wolf terrorism from three complimentary perspectives. First, he examines the concept from the perspective of those professionals who respond to and analyze the phenomenon. Next, he examines the concept from the perspective of extremists. He concludes by contrasting these perspectives with important analysis of the characteristics of domestic lone wolf extremists over a 20-year period, offering important insight on this evolving threat.

In “Social Cohesion, Collective Efficacy, and the Response of a Cape Verdean Community to Hate Crime: Learning a New Reality,” Carolyn Petrosino and James Pace analyze how a community in the Northeastern United States responds to hate crime. Through interviews with community leaders and examination of community characteristics, the authors find both cause for hope and concern. The more experienced, organized, and focused communities are in addressing hate crime as well as other issues before them, the more likely their responses will be effective. Social cohesion and the pursuit of collective efforts enhance community response to hate crime.

In “Potential Drivers of Terrorism Out to the Year 2020,” Carl Jensen III uses predictive tools to examine various drivers that will affect the capabilities and direction of terror movements in the years to come. The former Rand analyst and Federal Bureau of Investigation supervisor contends that technology, globalization, and changing organizational structure, among other things, will impact how terrorists act, organize, and adapt to a changing world.

Brian Levin examines the issues surrounding the inclusion of homelessness as a protected category in hate crime legislation in “Reassessing Laws on Hate Violence Against the Homeless.” He presents an analysis of both the genesis of hate crime laws as well as an examination of problem of bias violence against the homeless. He further examines the rationales for their inclusion as a protected group in both standard hate crime statutes and in vulnerable victim laws.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Author Biographies

Brian Levin is a professor of criminal justice at California State University, San Bernardino, where he is the director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. He has testified before both houses of Congress and is the principal author of various U.S. Supreme Court amici briefs. He formerly served as associate director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Klanwatch/Militia Task Force and as a New York City police officer. He is the author or coauthor of books and articles on hate crimes and extremism. He received his JD from Stanford Law School, where he was awarded the Block Civil Liberties Award, and received his BA in American History from the University of Pennsylvania, with multiple honors.

James J. Nolan is a professor of criminology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University, where he teaches courses about crime and social control. His research focuses on the topics of hate crime and police procedures. He earned a PhD at Temple University.