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Is Bullying a Junior Hate Crime? Implications for Interventions

Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Hate crimes and bullying behaviors among children have similarities. Both often focus on "different" individuals as preferred targets, such as those from controversial groups (e.g., homosexuals). Thus, unequal power exists between a bully and his or her victim, and this dynamic precludes the use of equal-power interventions such as mediation. A second similarity is a lack of basic respect for all persons and the subsequent justification of violence against a particular person or group. A third similarity is the predominance of these behaviors among young (juvenile) offenders. These similarities between hate crimes and bullying in children may inform bullying-prevention efforts. Programs need to reduce bullying behaviors by focusing on tolerance of differences, the promotion of positive attitudes toward diversity, and negative attitudes toward hate-based victimization of people who may be different from the mainstream. The Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center's Anti-Bullying Program provides a model for this approach.

Key Words: bullying • hate • prejudice • bias • violence • aggression • abuse

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American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 51, No. 2, 205-212 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0002764207306052


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Englander, E. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?