Hate crimes in Toronto

Toronto, Canada’s biggest city and economic capital, is also known as a destination for immigrants. Its multiculturalism makes it unique, and anyone can learn about various cultures and meeting people from different backgrounds while remaining within the boundaries of the city. This makes Toronto an ideal place to analyze how different perspectives conduct a social problem and to understand the ideologies and reasoning behind it. Due to the multiculturalism of Toronto, conflicts motivated by hate, which are often done by uneducated and ignorant minorities, are frequently occurring and reported. These crimes are usually motivated through the difference in ones’ nationality, language, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, religion, gender, colour, etc. According to Toronto Police, in 2014 more offenses related to hate/bias were reported when compared to 2015. Also, the groups that suffered more from this type of crime since 2006 were Jewish community, Black community and LGBQT community (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) (Toronto Police, 2015).
Between 2014 and 2015 it is possible to observe an 8% decrease in the number of hate crime in Toronto. Also, the number of arrests has also been reduced from 22 per annum to 19 persons. The hate crime police unit investigates these types of offenses and also crimes related to property damage. They provide a pro-active education and help people to recognize and combat hate. It is perceived that several factors can cause impact in the frequency of actual hate crimes.

Sometimes hate toward others is passed from one generation to another, for instance. In conclusion, this report will include some historical aspects of hate crime in the city, the statistics of this offense for recent years, and some ways to combat hate crime in Toronto (Nasser, 2016). This research aims the study of the social problem by analyzing the issue through different perspectives, and its purpose is also to inform and educate others regarding this subject. It is crucial to recognize hate signs in order to take preventive measures.
SOCIAL ANALYSIS
The Triangle Model of Hate Crime in Toronto
3403605969000189547513335INDIVIDUAL
ACTIONS
00INDIVIDUAL
ACTIONS

1552575273050000401002525876250016764006254750034575755873750037052251292225STRUCTURES:
Family Economy Government
Media
Education System
00STRUCTURES:
Family Economy Government
Media
Education System
857251301750IDEOLOGIES
Religion
Political
Racism
White supremacy
00IDEOLOGIES
Religion
Political
Racism
White supremacy
1381125892175SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Hate Crime
00SOCIAL PROBLEMS
Hate Crime

180975117475SOCIETY
00SOCIETY
4206240117475SOCIETY
00SOCIETY

The triangle model of social analysis is a useful tool to differentiate an individual problem from a social problem, and also to examine how ideologies and social institutions interfere in society. The individual beliefs and actions reflect the way persons conduct their lives and how the ideas and values they have will impact in common sense assumptions. It is what we hear and perceive on a daily basis. Ideologies are a group of ideas that represent how the problem is understood. Social institutions structure or maintain some ideologies. The media, education system, government, and economy, for instance, are examples of social institutions (Van Dijk 2000).
Hate crime is considered a social problem since is systemic rather than individual, and applying the triangle model to conduct a social analysis is an efficient way to examine how individual actions could lead to discrimination, marginalization, inequality, etc. According to Toronto police, the most affected group in 2015 was the Jewish community with 31 occurrences and representing 23.1% of total. In addition to that, the LGBQT and the muslin communities were the next most targeted victim group with 29 (22.1%) and 26 (19.4) occurrences respectively, and the black community follows this numbers with 20 occurrences (14.9%)(Toronto Police, 2015).

Figure1. Hate/Bias Occurrences by Victimized Groups 2015

Tabular Representation of Hate/Bias Occurrences by Victimized Groups 2015
DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVES OF HATE CRIME IN TORONTO
Jewish and Muslims
The media and social institutions are spreading Islamophobia among the young Canadian Muslims forcing them to reclaim their identity. One incident involving a young Canadian student at Vancouver Airport surfaces various perspectives of hate crimes against the Muslims. Laya Behanani says that while undergoing through passport check, she was dragged aside by an immigration agent and questioned about her frequent travels outside Canada. The incident backed up claims that a good number of young Muslims in Canada feel they are more Muslim than Canadian. The society in the country is pressurizing young Canadian Muslims to answers questions about violence perpetrated by Islamic radicals such as the ISIS. According to Environics Survey, 61% of young Canadians respondents agreed that being Muslim was the most significant part of their identity (Nasser, 2016). A drawing in the York University in Toronto is another representation of the perception about Jewish race in Canadian campuses. The drawing is a paint of a man standing while holding rocks in his hands and his back painted with a Palestinian flag and the map of Israel. Jews comprise a minority of students in Canadian campuses and are being perceived to be violent because of the unending Israel -Palestinian war. The Mural is an anti-Israel comment in Canadian campuses and is among anti-Semitic trends that are creating a hostile environment for Jewish students who believe in the existence of Israel (Sarlck, 2015).
LGBQT Community
A 2010 Canadian report on LGBQT indicated that hate crimes against the community continue to be the most violent in the country. The results indicated that sexual orientation instigated 17% of hate crimes in Canada and about 70% of the cases were extreme. A report on the global news media features a Joseph Roy Gills being violently attacked by a strange assailant as he walked down a Toronto street just because he is gay. After reporting the matter to the police, nothing much was done as the police regarded the incident as a strange assault since the offender could not be traced (Hate Crimes Targeting LGBT, n. d). The LGBQT people in Canada are expressing the feeling of lack of freedom in their sexual orientations. The sexual minority complain that they cannot walk down Canadian streets holding their partner’s hands like the majority sex population. The society perceives this category of individuals as immoral human beings who do not have any right over their sexual orientation. The Gays and Lesbians in the Canadian society are stigmatized and made to hide their sexual identity. Public proclamation about being gay or lesbian is life self-sacrifice to the thirsty-filled assailants who are always ready to punish the LGBQT community (Young, 2016). Violent crimes directed against the sexual minority group do not result in conviction of the offenders as compared to other crimes.
Black Community
Amongst the race and ethnic related crimes in Canada, 42% of these crimes target black people. The problem of the black race can be traced back to the age of exploration in Europe and America where slave trade began. The blacks were considered lesser human beings and were subjected to hard labor. This assumption has transpired to the modern world and is being used to harass the black race in Canada and other parts of the world. The increase in crimes against black people in Canada is being talked of through a conservative narrative that tends to suggest black people are the cause of their problems (Mcintyre, 2016). The problem is described as not being the result of the racist system but rather a shortcoming amongst the black community. Black people are also thought of committing more crimes than the white people. If a black person and a white person commit a crime of the same weight in Canada, the white person is more likely to be arrested than the white person. The diversity of perspectives amongst the black community is evident in the protests about the killings of the blacks in the country (Farbota, n. d). Civil society groups rise against the evils although they do not receive sufficient back up from the white population.
QUESTIONS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT HATE CRIME:
1. What do you and your group know about this topic?
When it comes to hate crime, what we are aware of this topic is derived from personal experiences and news outlets. In most cases, it is people that belong to minority groups that are targeted. And often, they are targeted by people that do not belong to any minority group and thus see themselves as being superior to them. Also, hate crimes against a particular group seem to rise depending on the political situation. For instance, not too long ago, the topic of bringing Syrian refugees to Canada was frequently discussed on the news, and some Canadians supported the governments’ decision to bring in refugees, while others were against it and preferred that our tax dollar is spent at home to improve current situations. This gave rise to situations where immigrants were discriminated against. Another situation relates to world events involving terrorism, where it is common that after any attack, Muslims find themselves in situations of being painted with the same brush. On the other hand, different ideologies and teachings have an effect on people and what they perceive as a hate crime or normal. For instance, some people are brought up believing that someone who belongs to the LBGTQ community is wrong and should not be accepted. They are brought up with that belief that to them it is normal to discriminate against them. Therefore, it is clear that education is key to solving issues regarding hate crime.
2. Why does this problem/issue concern you/your group?
The issue of hate crime is of great importance to us for numerous reasons. Firstly, within our group, we have individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, and some belong to a minority group, so we are faced with this issue and could be a target of a hate crime. Secondly, this issue affects the community as a whole. We are strong due to the differences between us as we build on each other’s strength and we learn from one another. If we end up discriminating and committing crimes against groups of our community, then we become weak, and society is bound to fail. Thirdly, if this issue is not tackled correctly and resolved to avoid future occurrences or at least minimize them, then our future generation will learn from the ignorance of the few and continue the same habit, and it will be a never ending cycle.
3. How does this problem/issue relate to your personal or professional life?
Whether in my personal or professional life, people can often tell that I was not born in Canada due to my accent. This leads to questions about my background, which in turn has an effect on how people respond and act towards me. In my professional life, I can see it sometimes that some of my clients prefer to deal with people that are from their backgrounds, especially older people as they prefer to speak their home language. I have never been a victim of a hate crime, but I know people that have faced discrimination because of their complexion their background, and it is very unfortunate that we are in 2016, and people are still subjected and suffering from hate crimes.
4. What questions do you/your group have about this problem/issue?
Some of the questions that we have regarding hate crime are the following:
How is the government, and law enforcements, battling this issue?
How much education is available to the public regarding hate crimes? Is there sufficient awareness about what constitutes a hate crime? And what are the punishments for such offenses?
What is the government doing to educate and inform young people about this topic?
Are the schools equipped and able to education the students at school?
5. How will you go about/structure your analysis
The structure of this analysis consists of an introduction that defines and discusses the elements of this social problem. Also, the report has a body that comprehensively explains the nature of this problem as well as the extent of it, showing all the statistics that has been collected. A conclusion with a summary and recommendations at the end of the report will improve our understanding and knowledge of, and response to, hate crime in Toronto.
CONCLUSION
The report on the diversity of hate crimes in Canada provides a wider understanding of how the particular groups of individuals are perceived and the causes of the perception. It is clear that minority groups in the country are experiencing hate crimes most of which result in violence and other harmful effects. Due to the sensitivity of some of the hate crimes such as those involving sexuality issues, the crimes continue going unreported and the statistics available only represent reported crimes. The report calls for the transformation of the Canadian Society and other world places that experience a similar problem. This report, therefore, recommends that the government, social institutions, civil society groups and the general public should join hands in the struggle against the social evils. Secondly, awareness creation for the coming generations is also an important action to be taken since the problem of hate crimes against the minority is thought as being perpetuated from one generation to another. Thirdly, the law should also tighten criminal charges against culprits of hate crimes to serve as an example for others who intend to commit similar crimes. Finally, the issue of identity should not be considered a priority in important institutions and social places because it is the cause of hate crimes for the minority groups in such places.
REFERENCES
“Annual Hate/Bias Crime Statistical Report.” (2015). Toronto Police – Hate Crime Unit.
Web. 25 Sept. 2016. Retrieved from https://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/2015hatecrimereport.pdfFarbota, K. (n. d.). Black Crime Rates: What Happens When Numbers Aren’t Neutral. Retrieved
November 11, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-farbota/black-crime-rates-your-st_b_8078586.htmlHate Crimes Targeting LGBT Community Remain Most Violent (n. d.). Retrieved November
11, 2016, from https://egale.ca/hate-crimes-targeting-lgbt-community-remain-most-violent-in-canada/
Mcintyre, C. (2016). Canada has a Black Incarceration Problem that Human Rights Advocates
say isn’t Being Addressed. Retrieved November 11, 2016, from http://torontoist.com/2016/04/african-canadian-prison-population/
Nasser, S. (2016). How Islamophobia is driving young Canadian Muslims to reclaim their
identity. Retrieved November 11, 2016, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/environics-muslim-canadian-survey-1.3551465
Sarlck, L. (2015). How bad is it on campus for Jewish Canadian students? Retrieved November
11, 2016, from http://www.cjnews.com/news/canada/how-bad-is-it-on-campus-depends-who-you-ask
Van Dijk A., T. (2000). Ideologies, Racism, Discourse: Debates on Immigration and Ethnic
Issues. Retrieved from http://discourses.org/OldArticles/Ideologies,%20racism,%20discourse.pdfYoung, L. (2016). LGBTQ people often victims of violent hate crimes in Canada. Retrieved
November 11, 2016, from http://globalnews.ca/news/2764551/lgbtq-people-often-victims-of-violent-hate-crimes-in-canada/