Hate crimes, regardless of where they occur, should be taken very seriously. A hate crime is any prejudicial activity and can include physical assault, vandalism, and intimidation. One of the most common forms of hate crime on campus is graffiti that expresses racial, ethnic, and cultural slurs.

Whatever form these crimes might take on your campus, it is important to examine your thoughts and feelings about their occurrence. The most important question to ask yourself is: Will you do something about it, or do you think that it is someone else’s problem? If you or a group to which you belong is the target of the hate crime, you might be compelled to take a stand and speak out against the incident, but will you feel strongly enough to express your discontent if you are not a member of the target group?

Just because you or your particular group has not been targeted in a hate crime doesn’t mean that you should do nothing. Commit to becoming involved in making your campus a safe place where students with diverse views, lifestyles, languages, politics, religions, and interests can come together and learn. If nothing happens to make it clear that hate crimes on campus will not be tolerated, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be the next target.

Many students, whether or not they were directly targeted in a hate crime, find strength in unity, forming action committees and making it clear that hate crimes will not be ignored or tolerated. In most cases, instead of dividing students, hate crimes bring students together to work toward denouncing hate. It is important not to respond to prejudice and hate crimes with violence. It is more effective to unite with fellow students, faculty, staff, campus police, and administrators to address the issue, educate the greater campus community, and work to promote an environment of respect and tolerance. Recent news reports have also described the use of Twitter to identify and arrest perpetrators of hate crimes, whether the crime is hate speech or more serious instances of physical assault. The use of social media can make identifying harassers and responding to hate crimes quick and effective.

How can you get involved? Work with existing campus services such as the campus police, the multicultural center, faculty members, and the administration to plan and host educational opportunities, including training sessions, workshops, and symposiums centered on diversity, sensitivity, and multiculturalism. Organize an on-campus antidiscrimination event at which campus and community leaders address the issues and provide solutions. Join prevention programs to come up with ideas to battle hate crimes on campus or in the community. Finally, look into the antidiscrimination measures your college has in place. Do you think that they need to be updated or revised?