A hate crime is defined as a criminal act involving violence, intimidation, or destruction of property based on prejudice against another person/group for their race, ethnicity, nationality, ancestry, gender, gender identity, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation.
“It is possible for someone as young as 13 years old to be convicted of murder in the second degree as a hate crime, in adult court,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney, via email.
One reason people may commit hate crimes is because the offender may be young and does not fully understand the impact and severity of their actions, which is why it is prevalent in teenagers. In order to combat this, educating students on the reality of hate crimes is paramount.
“Law enforcement agencies can effectively address hate crimes by educating and engaging with communities to raise awareness, as well as vigorously prosecuting those that commit hate crimes,” said Tierney.
Current administration also makes a point to inform students of the effects of hate crimes to help prevent them.
“A lot of that comes from assemblies and bringing guest speakers […] as well as providing professional development so that teachers are also providing that information to students…,” said director of student affairs Toby Elmore.
Working together as a school community to prevent hate crimes is important to create a safe environment for students.
“We have to be understanding, even if there’s a difference that you might not agree with, that we can still coexist in a cohesive manner respecting your beliefs and my beliefs,” said Elmore.
The most important, yet negative, aspect of when a hate crime is committed is the impact it has on the victim or victims.
“The mental health impacts to a victim of a hate crime […] may include fear, anxiety, grief and a sense of helplessness. It could also result in anger, depression, changes in mood or social behavior,” said school psychologist Dr. Heather Leggio, via email.
These are all symptoms similar to someone who has experienced any kind of trauma. The family of the victims may also exhibit these feelings depending on how severely impacted they are.
“They may feel a grief or loss for what their loved one experiences, again or anger and outrage,” said Leggio.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office provides crime victim advocates as a resource to provide assistance for victims of hate crimes and connect them to services.
“Some of the services provided may include: connecting victims with counseling, helping them submit an application for victim compensation with New York State, and/or arranging emergency shelter, food or clothing, if needed,” said Tierney.
If one witnesses a hate crime in a school environment, it is imperative that it is reported.
“[A witness] could speak to a teacher. One of the best things to do is to come down to the dean’s office and report it to any of the deans. […] It can be anonymous, if they don’t want to be a part of it,” said Elmore.
Hate crimes can also be reported to the Suffolk County Police Department.
“If there is no immediate danger, it can be reported to the Suffolk County Police Department Hate Crimes Hotline at 631-852-HATE, the Suffolk County Police Department Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-220-TIPS, or the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office H.E.A.T. Unit Tip Line at 631-852-2950,” said Tierney.
Spreading awareness about the ramifications of hate crimes to students has proven to be an effective and impactful method to help prevent occurrences.
“Comparing statistics from […] 2023 to […] 2024, both hate crimes and hate incidents [hateful actions that did not rise to the level of a crime] decreased,” said Tierney.
Encouraging students to be respectful of their peers and aware of how their words and actions can affect others is important for prevention.
“It’s all about ‘how do I treat you because of our differences?’ That’s what’s important,” said Elmore.◼️
