The Routledge International Handbook on Hate Crime (Routledge International Handbooks) - Hardcover

‘Hate crimes are a global problem and a serious human rights challenge that require a comprehensive response from governments and other stakeholders wherever they occur. This Handbook is an important new tool in the formulation of policies to combat hate crime, offering the latest thinking from top experts on the nature, incidence and impact of hate crime, as well as an honest account of the progress made and challenges that remain in law enforcement, criminal justice, and other policy responses to these crimes and the intolerance in which they are rooted.’ - Paul LeGendre, Human Rights First, USA

‘You do not have to agree with all the conclusions of the experts who contributed to this important book to recognize that it is an invaluable tool for officials who help set policy vis-à-vis hate crimes, as well as the frontline officers who have to deal with the impact of hate on diverse communities.’ - Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, USA

This edited collection brings together many of the world's leading experts, both academic and practitioner, in a single volume handbook that examines key international issues in the field of hate crime. Collectively it examines a range of pertinent areas with the ultimate aim of providing a detailed picture of the hate crime 'problem' in different parts of the world. The book is divided into four parts:

• An examination, covering theories and concepts, of issues relating to definitions of hate crime, the individual and community impacts of hate crime, the controversies of hate crime legislation, and theoretical approaches to understanding offending.

• An exploration of the international geography of hate, in which each chapter examines a range of hate crime issues in different parts of the world, including the UK, wider Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

• Reflections on a number of different perspectives across a range of key issues in hate crime, examining areas including particular issues affecting different victim groups, the increasingly important influence of the Internet, and hate crimes in sport.

• A discussion of a range of international efforts being utilised to combat hate and hate crime.

Offering a strong international focus and comprehensive coverage of a wide range of hate crime issues, this book is an important contribution to hate crime studies and will be essential reading for academics, students and practitioners interested in this field.