October 12, 2020
Dr. Ryan Scrivens and Dr. Steve Chermak are teaming up with researchers from the U.S., Canada, and Australia on a one-year project titled Scientific Knowledge and Approaches to Defining and Measuring Hate Crime, Hate Speech and Hate Incidents.
The roughly $192,000 project, funded by Public Safety Canada and contracted by the Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Coordinating Group, will serve as a review of the definitions and measurements used by scholars and practitioners. The multi-national team of researchers were inspired to take part in the review due to a lack of common definitions and measurements that are used to shape policies and programs at all levels of government.
The team of researchers are hoping to answer three basic questions with their review:
Researchers believe that conducing this review, and answering these questions, will enable a re-examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the current definitions and measurements used and ways to improve them. Dr. Scrivens says “this research is much needed to inform policies, programs, and research for a country like Canada, as well as advocacy for improving legislation.”