Book Review: Hate Crime
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050605300214 |
| Author | Liz Dixon |
| Date | 01 June 2006 |
| Published date | 01 June 2006 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Hate Crime
Nathan Hall
Willan Publishing, 2005; pp 288; £18.99, pbk
ISBN 1–8439–2130–8
There has been a growing pressure over the last 10 years
for criminal justice agencies, housing bodies, schools and
community cohesion bodies to respond to ‘hate crime’.
The challenge is to develop policy which can prevent the
escalation of racial and cultural tensions, promote citizen-
ship, develop expertise in identifying and combating preju-
dice and hate incidents. As this is a developing area of practice, there is limited
knowledge about what works. Given this context, Nathan Hall has – to quote John
Grieve in his preface – written an ‘important, timely book’, which will assist prac-
titioners and policy-makers alike.
The book reads as a logical and sequential exploration of hate as a historical
phenomenon. It manages to incorporate an academic analysis of prejudice and
hate, with an exploration of current policy, and demonstrates the importance of
an informed approach to creation of good policy. He draws in particular on his
own research, comparing the policing of hate crime in New York to that in London.
He adds to the pool of information on what works and how to identify, define,
and police hate crime, but, just as importantly, presents the reader with an inter-
esting analysis of differing approaches. This is particularly helpful given that hate
crime is produced within particular environments which require different
approaches; his chronological analysis of the development of hate in the USA and
in Britain demonstrates the need for localized responses and helps in thinking
about how we respond to the different forms of hate.
I found the chapter on the definition of prejudice and hate particularly useful.
His application of Gordon Allport’s (1954) seminal work on the nature of preju-
dice was excellent, as was his subsequent analysis of Ben Bowling’s (1999) work
on racist crime. The book looks at the impact of victimization and highlights the
subtle but corrosive damage that hate crime inflicts. Hall manages to interpret
relevant theories to help readers develop a framework for understanding the
phenomenon of hate crime. In a later chapter, he focuses on extreme hate and
hate offenders and concludes that the ‘hate state’ is not pathological or confined
to far right groups but is produced in ordinary people in certain conditions. Hall
summarizes different typologies devised to differentiate between different
offenders and offending. His analysis and application are sound, practical, and
useful for agencies seeking to deal with this form of crime.
I found the analysis both provocative and compelling – it makes sense of
current developments in policing policy, shows why the legislation and policies
have developed and how policy has prompted and shaped professional
responses. It also analyses the legislation and anticipates and reflects on the
response. This is one of the first texts to really highlight the new structures and
purposes of police policy introduced post-Lawrence. His careful and methodical
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