Investigating Criminal Tendencies and Hate Crimes in Canada: A Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of criminal tendencies, specifically focusing on hate crimes in Canada. It begins by defining crime and hate crimes, emphasizing their prevalence and impact. The report presents statistical data on hate crimes in Canada from 2016 to 2018, highlighting the increasing trend. It explores key factors contributing to these crimes, including unemployment, poverty, lack of security, and mental health issues, while also acknowledging the role of technological advancements. The report then delves into the Classical Theory of crime, identifying key concepts like dependent, independent, and intervening variables. It defines and operationalizes these variables, offering insights into how they can be measured and managed. The report proposes research hypotheses linking hate crimes to poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, social environment, and mental health. Data collection methods, using secondary sources from Canadian governmental and statistical institutions, are outlined. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of government intervention, social awareness, and justice to address the growing problem of hate crimes and foster a safer society.

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Criminal Law

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Criminal Tendencies in Canada
Criminal tendencies are very common across the globe. Crime can be defined as the commission
or the omission of any act which is against the rules and regulations of the country. Any act
which brings about suffering and ill effects upon the society against the law of the land is a
crime. It is a heinous and horrendous action against another (Brennan, 2012). In Canada, hate
crimes are quite common. Hate crime refers to a crime, which involves violence and assault. It is
promoted by prejudice and is based on certain grounds like race, sex, religion, caste etc. When a
victim is put under target by the offender, due to the association of the offender in specific
groups and races (Dauvergne, 2012). According to the reports of 2018, the highest hate crimes in
Canada are murder, robbery, rape, grievous hurt and sexual assault (Greene &Evelo, 2015).
In the contemporary times, the hate crimes are increasing day by day. However stringent the
rules are, the commission cannot be controlled. One of the chief reasons behind this scenario is
that the criminals are aware of the loop holes in the criminal laws of Canada (Martin et al.,
2013). The statistical information with regard to Hate crimes in Canada includes the following
facts: According to the Canadian Criminal Report Survey of 2016, the crime rate of the hate
crimes was 53.8%. This percentage had increased to 63.1% in the year 2017. There was another
rise in the crime rate in 2018, which was 67.9%. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Head
revealed that the statistics of hate crimes in Canada has been the highest in the year 2018 when
compared to the previous reports since 2006. With the advancement of technology, the offenders
of hate crimes have extended their ambit of the commission of crime through the information
technology act of Canada and through the computer resources. According to the Canadian
Statistical Information upon the amount of crime, hate crimes are increasing more in the recent
years (Munch, 2012). It has increased more in the last five years period. Back in 2006, there
were annual reports of robbery in a minimum percentage of 11.5 to 14.5% (Giorgi et al., 2015).
The fundamental reason behind the increasing of this hate crime is the increasing unemployment.
This factor is directly proportional with poverty. All the sources of income are perishing and
people have no means to maintain their basic standard of living. To add to this, the people below
the poverty line cannot meet their basic needs (Allen, 2016). The lack of security aids in the
commission of the crime of hate crimes. Hate crimes are usually committed by those groups of
people who are unaware of the consequences under the law (Reitano, 2017). According to the

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Correctional Services of Canada, the offenders usually come from under privileged backgrounds.
Their social environment is not healthy. They either had a troubled childhood accompanied with
torture and resentment. Their parenthood was not good and they were deprived of the basic
needs. Another condition that could prevail is the perversion in the minds of the offenders
(Goodwill et al., 2012). Only 6% are female who commit hate crimes while 11.7% are young
offenders. The middle aged men comprise of the maximum amount of offenders for hate crimes,
accounting for about 50%. The age of the male offenders are 20 to 50. The crime of hate crime is
becoming bigger with the passage of time (Bellevile, et al., 2012).
Key Concepts of the theory and Hate Crimes
The Classical Theory of crime lays emphasis upon the fact that while people make decisions they
are free to do so with their own consent. The punishment granted for that crime could be for a
deterrent concept provided the punishment given should be given in proportion to the crime. The
punishment should be carried out in the correct and the just manner. Under this theory, the key
concepts of hate crimes include the commission of the crime with a guilty mind. The
independent and intervening variables include unemployment, poverty and illiteracy. To add to
this, the social environment and the state of the mind of the people are very important. The
company of the offenders matter a lot since this crime involves the commission in association
and groups. The worse the company, the worst are the hate crimes. The independent variables
include the mental health of the offender as well. If they are perverted they would repeatedly
commit the crime however knowledge they possess. The absence of the civil sense and criminal
laws are also considered as an intervening variable. The dependent variable incorporates in itself
the social environment of the offender.
Due to unemployment, there is lack of income and these further results in the lack of standard of
the desired living among the people. They cannot survive without money. They are also unable
to find jobs as per their needs. This unemployment brings in poverty among the people. The
unemployment is also brought about with illiteracy and the economic phenomena in the work
structure of the market. The social environment contributes a great deal to this scene. If the
offender is from a background where there are criminals all around or there is constant
provocation for the commission of the crime, then the offender is likely to get involved in the

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hate crimes. All these factors are indirectly proportional to each other and together contribute in
the functioning of hate crimes. Another variable which fosters the growth of hate crimes is the
state of mental health of the offender. Thus, these were the various definitions of the different
variables in hate crimes.
Measuring of Variables
Under this theory, while measuring the dependent, independent and the intervening variables,
there are various factors which are in relation to the commission of the hate crime. These
variables are the key reasons as to why there is an enhancement of hate crimes in the
contemporary times. In order to operationalize these variables, the government of Canada should
play an active role on this part. The legislature under the Canadian government and the executive
of Canada should make laws and implement the same.
In order to curb poverty, the first and the foremost way is the provision of the employment
opportunities to the poor. After they start working and are paid for the same, there monetary
condition would improve. Their standard of living would be maintained. This would help in the
curbing of poverty to the people. The unemployment issues can be resolved by the government
by the opening of new avenues in various sectors. There should be opening of cooperative
societies and small scale industries to employ both the literate and the illiterate people in Canada.
The social environment of the offenders should be checked. Any kind of criminal tendencies
should be avoided and checked at the first instance. These modes can be highly effective in the
improvement of the social environment and the mental status of the offender.
The common mass should be made more and more aware about the criminal laws and the
consequences of hate crimes. They should understand the brevity of the crime. They should be
trained to understand that they are responsible citizens and it is also their duty to protect the
society from the offenders. Justice should be imparted the sufferers and the accused should be
penalized. In this way, the society can be cleaned from the dirt of crimes. The people can be
given proper security from the commission of offences.

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Research Hypothesis
The hypothesis of the research of this theory relating to the hate crime, states that
unemployment, poverty, social environment, state of mind and illiteracy are the key factors
which aid in the promotion of the crime. All the above variables are correlated to the dependent
variable of hate crime. Poverty, unemployment and illiteracy are positively related to Hate
crimes. Illiteracy helps in the promotion of the poverty and unemployment. The adding factors
which increase the instances of hate crime are the social environment and the mental health.
Hence, the hypothesis that could be framed is as follows:
H1: There is a positive relation between hate crime and poverty
H2: There is a positive relation between hate crime and illiteracy
H3: There is a positive relation between hate crime and unemployment
H4: There is a positive relation between hate crime and social environment.
H5: There is a positive relation between hate crime and mental health.
Collection of data
The collection of data done is through the secondary sources under this project. The secondary
source collection is done through both the quantitative and the qualitative methods. The
quantitative modes of data collection with regard to this theory have been gathered from the
statistical information from the Correctional services of Canada, Canadian Statistical Information
and the Central Mounted Police Force. The kinds of offenders and other data are received from
the journals based on the records of hate crimes in Canada. These are the qualitative measures. It
further includes the website and case laws under the Canadian Correctional Service provide
thorough and vivid description of the same.

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