Human rights are universal measures that help in ensuring humanity across the world. All the countries in the world have adopted constitutions that ensure the protection of their citizens from all factors that are against human rights. However, human behavior is a major element that has greatly contributed to various acts that are against human rights (Aronson et al., 2006). Human rights violation is when individuals are subjected to various conditions that affect their well-being in different aspects of life. Hate crime is one of the leading causes of human rights violations in most nations worldwide (Dancygier et al., 2021). This study strives to highlight how human behavior has contributed to increased hate crime against the minority groups in America, such as immigrants and African American individuals.
Minority groups are subjected to discrimination depending on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. Hate crimes majorly consider an individual’s orientation and are majorly used to send a signal or a message to other individuals of the same orientation. Hate crimes are some of the major causes of psychological distress to the victims (Dancygier et al., 2021). Psychological constructs are the major factors contributing to the increase in hate crimes against minority groups in the United States of America (Aronson et al., 2006). Superiority complex is a major reason why the Native American white individual developed various constructs that would subject the minority groups to conditions against human rights.
One of the major psychological constructs that have contributed significantly to the increase of hate crimes against a given group is attitude. Attitude plays a major role in human behavior since it influences how one may relate to other individuals within Society (Aronson et al., 2006). Most African Americans and other individuals from the minority groups have been victims of prejudice and discrimination due to negative attitudes towards them from the White American Native individuals (Dancygier et al., 2021). For example, a significant number of the native citizens have considered African Americans and other immigrants within the American territories as competitors. Due to negative attitudes, they subject the minority groups to various forms of hate crime to send a signal to the individuals.
Another critical psychological construct that has led to the dehumanization of the minority group is social comparison. Social comparison is where individuals are treated according to their social status within Society (Aronson et al., 2006). The majority of individuals in the United States of America who make up the lower social class are the minority groups: African Americans and immigrant individuals. Most social benefits are directed to the upper-class individuals, majorly the white Native Americans. Social comparison has negatively affected the minority individuals in most sectors, such as resources allocation, health and education sectors, and the justice systems leading to poor quality of life for the individuals.
Beliefs, opinions, and affiliation to a particular group also contribute significantly to the cases of social comparison. Beliefs are factors that individuals have great faith in that will bring about better well-being, such as religious affiliation (Aronson et al., 2006). Opinions and affiliation to a given group also play a major role in an individual’s social position. Individuals who are part of an unfamiliar group within Society regarding a given topic, such as in the political sector, may be subjected to various forms of discrimination. Beliefs and opinions are significant factors that greatly influence human behavior in different aspects of life.
Having a clear understanding of how a given group act or conduct itself among other group is essential in understanding the relationship between distinct groups within a given society. Various theories have been developed to enhance the understanding of various human behaviors and how different conducts impact other individuals (Aronson et al., 2006). Individuals react to various aspects differently to ensure their well-being; however, it is recommended that an individual’s actions should not have a negative impact on the well-being of other members of the community. Various psychological theories have been developed to help in ensuring a better understanding of human behavior and how they contribute to blatant dehumanization.
Understanding human behavior enables an easy way of identifying the reason why a given group of individuals make some decisions. One of the major psychological theories which strive to elaborate a clear understanding of human behavior is the social identity theory (Aronson et al., 2006). Social identity theory states that most individuals acquire their character and part of their identity from groups they are affiliated to. Their physical features majorly determine the social identity of a given group or individual (Aronson et al., 2006). For example, the African Americans are majorly identified to be black individuals, while the white natives are identified as white or Caucasian individuals.
Social identity theory enables a greater understanding of the relationship between different groups with distinct identities. Individuals of a particular group tend to compete with individuals from other groups to portray a superiority complex (Harel et al., 2020). Various aspects of social identity have negatively impacted human behavior, leading to increased cases of hate crime. In the United States of America, individuals who identify more with African Americans and other immigrant groups have been subjected to various forms of dehumanization (Harel et al., 2020). Negative behaviors make the group acquire a negative social identity in Society, while positive conduct will make the group achieve a positive social identity.
Another significant psychological that enables an elaborate understanding of human behaviors and how it influences hate crime against minority groups is the cognitive dissonance theory. Cognitive behavior theory majorly highlights how individuals’ feelings and emotions influence how they relate with other individuals within Society. An individual’s attitude towards a given group greatly influences how they treat other individuals (Bruneau et al., 2018). The feeling of hatred towards a given group within the community is one of the major causes of hate crime (Bruneau et al., 2018). The high cases of racism in the united states of America is one of the major negative impacts of hate towards the minority groups such as the African American people and the immigrant individuals living in America.
One of the renowned scholars in the field of social psychology, Leon Festinger, states that individuals need to enhance consistency in their emotions and feelings to ensure proper human behavior. He highlights that consistency in an individual’s emotions and feelings will enable them to restore consonance in their behavior. Various forms of cognitive inconsistencies from various dynamic groups are the main causes of dehumanization against minority groups (Plumm et al., 2010). For example, an individual may be subjected to various conditions which are against human rights by a given dynamic group because of their sexual orientation who are opposed to their sexual orientation.
Stereotypes against a given group are also major causes of hate crime toward a given group in the community. There are different types of stereotypes that affect most African Americans and other immigrant individuals, such as the Chinese and the Asians living and working in America (Dukes & Gaither, 2017). Stereotypes are major as a result of cognitive dissonance where a given group of individuals subject other members of another out-group to various forms of dehumanization, leading to poor quality of life (Dukes & Gaither, 2017). The Chinese individuals are among the individuals who have greatly been affected by stereotypes from the Native American citizens. Stereotypes may portray a given group of people as individuals who negatively affect the community’s well-being.
Cognitive dissonance is one of the main causes of stereotypes towards a given group of people in Society. This is because a given group of people have declined to adopt characters that will help in reducing dissonance, leading to increased negative stereotypes towards the minority group. Negative stereotypes have greatly contributed to hate crime cases against minority groups (Plumm & Leighton, 2019). For example, many black individuals have been victims of police brutality in the United States of America, leading to most of them losing their life under unclear circumstances. The law requires that every American citizen be subjected to free and fair justice procedures (Dancygier et al., 2021). The minority groups have majorly suffered because given groups have a negative perception and feeling toward them, and the only remedy is to adopt behaviors that will enhance positive relations.
References
Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2006). Social psychology : Fifth edition = 社会心理学:第五版 / Social psychology : Fifth edition = She hui xin li xue : Di wu ban. Zhongguo Qing Gong Ye Chu Ban She.
Bruneau, E., Kteily, N., & Laustsen, L. (2018). The unique effects of blatant dehumanization on attitudes and behavior towards Muslim refugees during the European “refugee crisis” across four countries. European Journal of Social Psychology, 48(5), 645–662. Web.
Dancygier, R., Egami, N., Jamal, A., & Rischke, R. (2021). Hate crimes and gender imbalances: fears over mate competition and violence against refugees. American Journal of Political Science. Web.
Dukes, K. N., & Gaither, S. E. (2017). Black racial stereotypes and victim blaming: Implications for media coverage and criminal proceedings in cases of police violence against racial and ethnic minorities. Journal of Social Issues, 73(4), 789–807. Web.
Harel, T. O., Jameson, J. K., & Maoz, I. (2020). The normalization of hatred: Identity, affective polarization, and dehumanization on facebook in the context of intractable political conflict. Social Media + Society, 6(2), 205630512091398. Web.
Plumm, K. M., & Leighton, K. N. (2019). Sexual orientation and gender bias motivated violent crime. Advances in Psychology and Law, 175–196. Web.
Plumm, K. M., Terrance, C. A., Henderson, V. R., & Ellingson, H. (2010). Victim blame in a hate crime motivated by sexual orientation. Journal of Homosexuality, 57(2), 267–286. Web.