SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Millions of Californians are experiencing or witnessing acts of hate each year, according to the third annual report released by the California Commission on the State of Hate, which documents rising hate activity across the state and outlines policy recommendations aimed at prevention, victim support and stronger public responses.
The report, issued by the commission within the California Civil Rights Department, provides a comprehensive analysis of hate incidents and hate crimes across California and proposes new interim recommendations intended to strengthen prevention and response strategies statewide.
The Commission on the State of Hate was established to assist California in monitoring, preventing and responding to hate activity. Its work focuses on three strategic goals: providing a comprehensive accounting of hate activity in California, developing recommendations for reducing hate crimes and strengthening resources and support for communities affected by hate.
The latest report draws on several sources of data, including the California Health Interview Survey conducted in partnership with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, which provides one of the most comprehensive datasets on Californians’ experiences with hate.
According to the report, an estimated 8 percent of Californians over the age of 12 — roughly 2.6 million people — experienced at least one act of hate within a one-year period between 2022 and 2023.
An estimated 15 percent of Californians — nearly 5 million people — reported witnessing an act of hate during that same period.
The data also suggest that hate incidents are significantly underreported. According to the analysis, only about 0.3 percent of adults and 0.1 percent of adolescents who experienced hate-motivated physical violence or property damage are reflected in law enforcement data.
Commission Chair Brian Levin said the findings underscore the scope of the problem.
“As hate crimes have risen dramatically over the last decade, California is leading the nation in its response,” Levin said in the press release. “Our state has built up local support networks, we’re investing in increased safety for nonprofits, and we’re bringing together experts from all walks of life to help us put a stop to hate.”
The report found that certain communities continue to experience hate at disproportionately high rates. Race or skin color was identified as the most common motivation behind hate incidents, with nearly two-thirds of adult victims reporting they were targeted for that reason.
Other common motivations included ancestry or national origin, gender or gender identity, age, sexual orientation and religion.
The report also found that historically marginalized groups experience hate at significantly higher rates. An estimated 14 percent of Black adults, 9 percent of Asian American adults and 15 percent of American Indian or Alaska Native adults reported experiencing hate within a one-year period.
Transgender and gender-expansive adults were 2.7 times more likely than cisgender adults to experience hate incidents, while lesbian, gay, bisexual and pansexual adults were nearly twice as likely as heterosexual adults to report being targeted.
Housing instability also appears to increase vulnerability. According to the report, approximately 21 percent of adults experiencing unstable housing reported being victims of hate incidents, compared with about 6 percent of adults with stable housing.
The commission also found that teenagers experience hate more frequently than adults and that schools are the most common location for those incidents. Nearly 80 percent of teen victims reported experiencing hate at school.
Among adults, the most common locations for hate incidents were public streets and sidewalks, followed by businesses.
The report also documents recent increases in certain types of hate crimes reported to law enforcement. Religious-bias hate crimes rose 30 percent between 2022 and 2023, while reported anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by more than 50 percent and anti-Muslim incidents rose by 60 percent.
The commission also examined the growing role of online environments in spreading hate. The report found that approximately 21 percent of adults and 24 percent of adolescents who experienced hate reported at least one incident occurring online.
Researchers noted that social media platforms can amplify hateful content quickly and connect individuals with extremist networks in ways that were previously more difficult offline.
The commission’s report includes 23 interim policy recommendations intended to address current trends in hate activity and improve statewide responses.
Among the recommendations are increased investments in anti-hate initiatives, expanded community-based programs, improved law enforcement training on hate crimes and expanded access to culturally competent mental health care for victims.
The report also calls for greater public education and prevention strategies, including digital literacy education to help people recognize online hate and misinformation, as well as school-based programs to address hate incidents among youth.
The commission emphasized that addressing hate requires coordinated efforts across government agencies, community organizations and the public.
The report states that combating hate requires more than reactive enforcement and must instead include sustained investment in community engagement, education and institutional accountability.
The commission plans to continue researching patterns of hate in California in the coming year while developing additional policy recommendations to support victims and prevent bias-motivated violence across the state.
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