The Federal Bureau of Investigation, better known as the FBI, reported that in 2022, the top three categories for unique bias incidents were race/ethnicity/ancestry, religion, and sexual orientation. Within those categories, the highest number of reported hate crime incidents were against African Americans, Jews, and gay men, respectively.
The agency said there were more than 11,000 incidents of single-bias hate crimes involving 13,278 victims and 346 incidents of multiple-bias hate crimes involving 433 victims.
The FBI said law enforcement participation increased significantly in 2022, resulting in 14,631 law enforcement agencies, with 91.7 percent population coverage, filing incident reports.
These reports involved 11,634 criminal incidents and 13,337 related crimes motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender and gender identity.
Race and ethnicity accounted for 6,570 cases; religion, 2,044; sexual orientation, 1,947; disability, 171; gender, 95; gender identity, 469; and 347 cases were for other reasons.
Antisemitic hate crimes increased 25 percent from 2021 to 2022, accounting for more than half of all reported religion-based hate crimes. Anti-LGBTQI+ hate crimes increased 16 percent, and Muslim and Black Americans continue to be overrepresented among victims.
“The data reminds us that hate never goes away, it just goes underground. Any hate crime is a stain on the soul of America,” President Joseph Biden said.
“To Americans concerned about violence at home, as a result of the evil acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas in Israel, we see you and we hear you. And I have asked members of my team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas and Attorney General Garland, to prioritize preventing and disrupting any emerging threats that could harm Jewish, Muslim, Arab-American, or any other communities during this time. My Administration will continue to fight anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,” he said.
The president noted that last year's data also shows that overall hate crime levels remained stable, and that hate crimes against Asian Americans declined 38 percent after he signed legislation to combat anti-Asian hate.
“But there is still much work to be done to end hate-motivated violence. That means coming together and speaking out against hate and intolerance in all its forms. All Americans deserve to live with dignity, respect and safety,” he said.
This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, ayou administeredred by the CaliFornia State Library.
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