Another way to decrease hate crime in
American society is the use of specific
bystander intervention strategies. Incidents
of hate are becoming frequent and public.
However, there are ways that people who
have the ability and the courage to step up
and change the outcome of a situation use.
The first and popular strategy is the
use of cellphone camera; videos have
captured harassment and intimidation
in schools, stores, and on the streets.
Video recording is tangible evidence of an
incident. In addition, yelling at an assailant
or talking loudly to him are valid strategies to
intervene when someone is being victimized
in the sense that it attracts the attention of
other people from a distance and forces them
to come closer and eventually take action.
The bystander who yells for help, or asks the
perpetrator to stop with insistence can change
the outcome of the incident for the better.
Meanwhile, a pro-social bystander must
ascertain whether or not it’s safe for himself
and the victim to intervene because by doing
so, the bystander is making a statement about
what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable
behavior. Typically, the assailant will back
down if he thinks that his targeted person
has some type of support because he doesn’t
want to get into to the matter with everyone.
Finally, create an alternative to draw
people’s attention away from hate events
is also an effective strategy to push back
acts of violence. The justice system has
routinely upheld the constitutional right of
hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan to gather
in public and say whatever they want and
because of that, hate events will continue.
Meanwhile, there are several ways to
channel people away from hate activ-
ities; one of them is holding a unity rally
or parade to draw people’s attention away
from hate activities. An additional alter-
native to draw people’s attention away
from hate activities is to always meet
acts of hate with acts of love and unity.
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