The new findings, revealed in the 2016-2017 Hate Crime Metro Report published by the nonpartisan Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino (CSUSB) on Monday, found that hate crimes in the United States have climbed dramatically, up 21.7% during 2016.
The research, authored by Department of Criminal Justice Professor Brian Levin, showed an uptick in hate crimes in several US cities, in particular against Muslims, Jews and members of the LGBTQ community.
Documenting 1,037 hate-crime incidents in 2016, the report noted significant increases across the board in nine metropolitan areas, including a 189% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in New York City alone.
While the author of the report was careful to not blame the nationalist rhetoric used by many supporters of US President Donald Trump, it was noted that more could be done to stem the violence.
Levin observed that, "Following the 9/11 attacks, hate crimes spiked. Six days after those attacks though, President George Bush spoke at the Islamic Center of DC, speaking about tolerance. And hate crimes dropped 66% in the next six days," according to the CSUSB website.
Following the release of the report, experts observed that many hate crimes go unreported.
