Exploring Trends in Hate Crime Statistics and Trauma-Related Disorders in Asian and Black Americans, 2017-2021
Abstract
The rise of COVID-19 and social movements (i.e., protests) were also accompanied with the rise of hate crimes, specifically against Asian and Black communities. Along with physical threats from hate crimes, long-term consequences of this include trauma-related responses such as developing feelings of anger and facing higher risks of PTSD compared to other crimes committed against these groups. This project explored a 5-year trend analysis of the relationship between hate crimes and trauma-related mental health disorders among Black and Asian populations in the United States. It was hypothesized that hate crimes and trauma-related disorders would be positively correlated and would increase over the 5-year time period. Failing to understand racial trauma and its effects can perpetuate and undermine current health disparities in these affected communities for symptoms like depression, low self-esteem, and mental distancing. Hate crime statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Crime Explorer Database from 2017-2021 were compared with trauma-related disorder prevalence obtained from SAMHSA’s Mental Health Client-Level Data (MH-CLD) during the same period. Frequencies of hate crimes (intimidation and simple assault) and mental illness were reported, stratified by race, and fit in a graph, examining for trends. The results support the hypothesis of a positive correlation for both Asian and Black communities from 2017-2021, not causation where hate crimes caused trauma related disorders. Additionally, future research can inform early, specialized interventions for those who have experienced racial trauma and be beneficial for exploring these early relationships in a post-COVID world.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Christi M. Navarro
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-3-2024 12:30 PM
End Date
4-4-2024 1:30 PM
Exploring Trends in Hate Crime Statistics and Trauma-Related Disorders in Asian and Black Americans, 2017-2021
Alvin Sherman Library
The rise of COVID-19 and social movements (i.e., protests) were also accompanied with the rise of hate crimes, specifically against Asian and Black communities. Along with physical threats from hate crimes, long-term consequences of this include trauma-related responses such as developing feelings of anger and facing higher risks of PTSD compared to other crimes committed against these groups. This project explored a 5-year trend analysis of the relationship between hate crimes and trauma-related mental health disorders among Black and Asian populations in the United States. It was hypothesized that hate crimes and trauma-related disorders would be positively correlated and would increase over the 5-year time period. Failing to understand racial trauma and its effects can perpetuate and undermine current health disparities in these affected communities for symptoms like depression, low self-esteem, and mental distancing. Hate crime statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Crime Explorer Database from 2017-2021 were compared with trauma-related disorder prevalence obtained from SAMHSA’s Mental Health Client-Level Data (MH-CLD) during the same period. Frequencies of hate crimes (intimidation and simple assault) and mental illness were reported, stratified by race, and fit in a graph, examining for trends. The results support the hypothesis of a positive correlation for both Asian and Black communities from 2017-2021, not causation where hate crimes caused trauma related disorders. Additionally, future research can inform early, specialized interventions for those who have experienced racial trauma and be beneficial for exploring these early relationships in a post-COVID world.
