For Immediate Release
November 18, 1999

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office

Hate Crimes Statistics 1998

The Federal Bureau of Investigation today released the following hate crime statistics for 1998:

In 1998, a total of 7,755 bias-motivated criminal incidents were reported to the Bureau's Uniform Crime Reporting Program by 10,730 law enforcement agencies in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Of these 7,755 incidents, racial bias motivated 4,321; religious bias accounted for 1,390; sexual-orientation bias was the cause of 1,260; ethnicity/national origin bias represented 754; disability bias was associated with 25; and the remaining 5 incidents were the result of multiple biases.

Sixty-eight percent of the 9,235 offenses reported (some incidents may include more than one offense) were crimes against persons. Intimidation, the most frequently reported hate crime against persons as well as the most frequently reported hate crime of all offenses measured, accounted for 38 percent of the total. In addition, the person crimes of simple assault and aggravated assault accounted for 18 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Destruction/ damage/vandalism, the most frequently reported crime against property, accounted for 28 percent of all reported offenses.

Thirteen persons were murdered in incidents motivated by hate. Racial bias was the motivation for 8 murders, and sexual-orientation bias the motivation for 4. The remaining murder was motivated by ethnicity/national origin bias.

Eight out of 10 of the 9,722 reported hate crime victims were individuals (people), while the remaining victims were businesses, religious organizations, or various other targets. Of the total victims, 57 percent were victimized because of their race, 18 percent because of their religious preference, and 15 percent because of their sexual orientation. The remaining victims suffered because of their ethnicity/national origin or disability.

Law enforcement agencies identified 7,489 offenders in connection with the 7,755 incidents reported in 1998. Offenders were unknown for 3,686, or 48 percent, of the incidents. Thirty-five percent of the 7,489 known offenders were reported in association with the offense of intimidation.

The majority (31 percent) of hate crime incidents reported in 1998 occurred in/on residential properties. Incidents perpetrated on highways/roads/alleys/streets comprised 20 percent of the total incidents, and 9 percent occurred at schools or colleges. The remaining incidents were distributed among various locations.

Agencies participating in the Hate Crime Data Collection Program in 1998 represented over 216 million United States inhabitants, or 80 percent, of the Nation's population. Even though not all agencies participate in the Hate Crime Program, reports from participants offer perspectives on the general nature of hate crime occurrence.