Anti-LGBTQ hate crime: an analysis of offender and situational variables across crime measures

The current study aimed to augment the scant body of literature on anti-LGBTQ hate violence by providing an in-depth examination of anti-LGBTQ hate incident perpetrators and situational characteristics. This study analyzed demographic variables of anti-LGBTQ hate violence offenders including age, gender, race, and sexual orientation to understand which demographic groups were responsible for sexual orientation and gender identity based violence. This study also explored the situational dynamics of anti-LGBTQ hate violence including crime type, offender substance use, number of offenders, victim-offender relationships, injury severity, medical attention, and location of the incident. In addition to casting light upon the offending profile and situational characteristics of anti-LGBTQ hate violence, the use of four distinct datasets allowed for the opportunity to make comparisons, both between and within datasets. It was found that anti-LGBTQ hate crime perpetrators generally adhered to the profile of a typical offender offered in the academic literature; white, heterosexual men under the age of 30. Unexpectedly, the proportion of these offender demographic groups among anti-LGBTQ hate offenders were not consistently larger than amongst general crime and hate crime offenders. Analysis of situational dynamic variables, however, did provide support for the notion that anti-LGBTQ hate is a distinct type of criminal incident. Significantly increased levels of offender substance use, number of offenders, crimes perpetrated by acquaintances, crimes taking place in open spaces, and crimes against persons substantiated the theory that anti-LGBTQ hate crime is qualitatively unique, typified by different characteristics than other forms of crime. The data in this study also supports that anti-LGBTQ hate crime is not a homogenous phenomenon. Significant numbers of anti-LGBTQ hate crimes committed by known offenders including friends, family, and intimates, crimes committed in private locations such as residences, and crimes committed by non-heterosexual individuals suggests that multiple dynamic processes may underlie this type of crime.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Jill Allyn Keho