Combating Hate HATE CRIMES LAW

Leading the Way Against Hate and Bias

ADL has long been in the forefront of national and state efforts to deter and counteract hate crimes. Criminal activity motivated by bias is different from other criminal conduct; in a hate crime, the perpetrator attacks the victim because of a bias against the victim's actual or perceived status, such as the victim's race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. Now, 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government have enacted hate crimes laws based on (or similar to) ADL's model statute.

See the Law in Your State (PDF) ▶

Hate Crime Laws

• Pioneering Hate Crime Legislation and Advocacy (PDF)
• An Introduction to Hate Crime Laws (PDF)
• The Hate Crimes Prevention Act: What You Need to Know (PDF)
• The Federal Hate Crimes Bill Is Now Law — What's Next?

Hate Crimes Statistics

• FBI Hate Crimes Statistics (2000-2011) (PDF)
• Hate Crimes Data Collection and Prosecutions FAQ
• ADL Leads Coalition Urging FBI to Collect Data on Hate Crimes Against Sikhs, Arabs and Hindus

Educational Tools

• Database of Hate Symbols, Logos and Tattoos
• Hate Crimes Information for Law Enforcement
• ADL Guides Nations on How to Combat Hate Violence

ADL Welcomes First Senate Hearings On Federal Hate Crime Law

On September 19, 2012 the Senate conducted its first hearings on the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA). ADL submitted testimony hailing the Department of Justice's (DOJ) enforcement efforts, while calling on DOJ to expand its efforts to counter domestic terrorism and compile more data about hate crimes.

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ADL Renews Resolution to Address Gun Violence Prevention

In the aftermath of a recent spate of tragic mass shootings, including at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut and in a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, ADL has once again reaffirmed its commitment to gun violence prevention.

Read the Resolution ▶

Hate Crimes in the News

On August 5, 2012 alleged gunman Wade Michael Page opened fire in a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, killing six people and wounding four more. Page was a white supremacist who was well-known to the ADL and other hate-group monitors for his longtime involvement with the American racist skinhead movement.

• Read More About Wade Michael Page
• ADL Urges Department of Justice to Track Hate Crimes Against Sikhs
• ADL Press Release Archive on Hate Crimes