ASC Proposal 2007
politicians) involved in the creation of this legislation. Findings indicate that both the legal
climate and the political climate were conducive to the inclusion of gender within the state’s bias
crime legislation. For example, within various newspaper articles, senators were quoted stating
that the exclusion of gender was a ‘flaw’ and that people are often the targets of violence simply
because of their sex. Moreover, the media coverage of the gender category was favorable to the
inclusion of this category; out of 20 articles, 7 provide specific support for the inclusion of
gender, whereas only 3 contain opposition to the new law. Interestingly, opponents to the new
law did not take issue with the inclusion of gender specifically, but rather with hate crime laws in
general (e.g. violation of 1
st
Amendment rights).
By analyzing media reports of bias crime legislation in New Jersey after the passage of
the law, I discovered how the media frames the gender category compared to the other categories
within New Jersey’s bias crime statutes. Preliminary findings indicate that the gender category
does not receive the same media attention as other forms of bias-motivated crimes. For instance,
between 1995 and January 2007, over 1000 articles were found within one major New Jersey
newspaper pertaining to bias crimes. However, out of these articles, only 68 specifically mention
the gender category; and when the category is mentioned, it consists primarily of a general
statement of the state bias statute. In other words, the media does not cover gender-biased crimes
in the same manner as other forms of bias-motivated offenses.
In sum, this study is important as it adds empirical research to the discussion of bias
crime legislation in regards to the inclusion of the gender category. Much of the literature on this
specific topic is based on conceptual arguments. Therefore, this research provides needed
empirical data so to enhance our understanding of the complexities surrounding the inclusion of
gender within state bias crime legislation.
5
Convention