Identifying Correlates in Anti-Semitic Incidents on College Campuses in the U.S.

American colleges experienced approximately 5% of anti-Semitic incidents nationwide in 2014. These incidents included harassment, verbal taunts and physical attacks. This study will seek to identify the possible correlating factors of these incidents and others like it. The factors examined are the presence of Jewish student organizations, pro-Israel student organizations, pro-Palestine student organizations, pro-Pease organizations, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) support and resolutions, as well as the campus location in relation to hate groups in the state. The significance of these factors being present on campuses is examined utilizing information from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), Brandeis University, and the AMCHA Initiative. Ten U.S. colleges were chosen across the country with varying factors present on their campuses. A scale is utilized to measure the likelihood that a campus will experience anti-Semitic incidents. Five questions are explored and policy implications are discussed