Hate Crime Attributions and Sentencing: Examining the Racial and Sexual Minority Intersection

Abstract

Research examining joint effects of racial and sexual minority status as relates to hate crimes is limited. This study aims to add to existing literature regarding the relations between assignment of blame of both the perpetrator and victim and recommended length of sentencing of the perpetrator when considering both racial and sexual minority status of the victim simultaneously. Participants were 131 University of Maryland, Baltimore County students in undergraduate psychology courses. Racial by sexual minority status interaction effects were observed for each blame measure, though not for recommended length of sentencing. The simple effect of sexual orientation on victim blame was stronger for White victims, wherein straight victims were ascribed more blame than gay victims. There were counterintuitive findings for perpetrator blame such that those assigned to the Black straight condition endorsed higher perpetrator blame than those assigned to the Black gay condition. Considering perpetrator blame, the findings were unexpected. Specifically, when the victim was Black, participants ascribed greater perpetrator blame when the victim was also straight. A small, though trending, simple effect when the victim was White was consistent with hypotheses wherein greater perpetrator blame was ascribed if the victim was also gay. Future research should seek to replicate these findings, as well as examine further racial and sexual minority intersectional identities.