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Hate Crime
A crime committed against a person or property based on a perceived association with a particular social group. Sometimes referred to as bias crimes or bias motivated crimes, hate crimes may be either personal or property crimes and are, typically, committed based on the victim's race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. Hate crimes are considered more harmful than traditional crimes, because they target not just the individual victims but also the entire community or group with which the victim is associated. Most states have passed laws criminalizing hate crimes and providing for additional punishment for crimes motivated, in whole or in part, by hatred.