No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

- Nelson Mandela, 1994

Most mass violence incidents (MVIs) occur suddenly and in typically peaceful settings and result in death or physical injury to many victims and survivors. Beyond their direct impact, the effect of MVIs extends to family members, friends, and loved ones of victims; members of the affected community; first-responders; and recovery service providers. The immediate and long-term effects can be physical (e.g., injury, disability), instrumental (e.g., housing, financial), psychological/behavioral (e.g., shock, anxiety, depression, grief, problematic substance use), and social (e.g., loss of relationships, work). Well-established literature has identified significant short- and long-term mental health impacts of MVIs, including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and persistent grief. MVIs also cause significant fear among victims and the entire community.

In addition to the fear associated with MVIs in general, hate crimes create an additional level of distress because the perpetrator targets a particular group of people based on hatred and bias. Hate crimes are intended to induce fear and cause psychological harm to an entire group of people. Common responses to hate crimes include fear, anxiety, worry, confusion, and anger. People may develop distrust of people similar to the perpetrator or avoid locations where they feel they may be targeted. This distrust and avoidance can amplify and worsen psychological symptoms.

The National Mass Violence Victim Resource Center (NMVVRC), established as a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime in 2017, focuses on improving community preparedness and the nation’s capacity to serve victims recovering from mass violence through research, planning, technology, and collaboration. Our activities focus on ways to enhance the recovery of victims, families, and communities following MVIs, and we have several resources to directly assist individuals and communities following hate-based MVIs, including a National Town Hall on hate-motivated mass violence crimes.

The NMVVRC offers helpful strategies that can be particularly helpful for victims, families, and communities following hate-based mass violence:

• Examine your reactions/Seek support. Take some time to talk with others to clarify what you are feeling and address your reactions to the hate crime. One goal of hate crimes is to make people feel very fearful and isolated – expressing personal concerns and asking others for support can be very helpful.
• Seek accurate information. Understand that information made immediately available about the incident can sometimes be inaccurate, and new facts can emerge over time. When seeking information, identify the law enforcement agency that provides timely updates to victims, survivors and communities. Also, ensure that any media sites you consult are reputable (though even the most reputable sources sometimes get information wrong at first).
• Consider the ripple effect. Even if the hate crime did not immediately affect you or someone you know, a ripple effect occurs that can affect others in the community and even across the nation and around the world. This can be especially true following hate crimes. People similar to the targeted group may think, “This could have happened to me” and may become more fearful. Responding with empathy and understanding can be helpful.
• Understand common reactions. Immediately following a hate crime, it is common for people to have significant worry or anxiety about what happened and what may happen in the future, either to them or to their community. Reactions like increased fearfulness, anxiety, difficulty with attention and concentration, and changes in sleep or appetite are fairly common. These reactions tend to lessen within a few weeks of the event but should be monitored over time.
• Limit media exposure. Although people typically want to know everything they can about a hate crime, it is possible to consume too much information, especially right after an event. Media exposure can increase stress levels. Limiting how much news coverage you watch and read about the event can help you cope with the incident and focus on other things. This includes all types of media, such as television, newspaper, radio, podcasts, and social media.

It is essential to note that people who experience a hate-based MVI may be especially impacted when another hate-based MVI occurs across the country. Victims or survivors of a hate-based MVI may be surprised by the sudden and intense feelings and emotional reactions that these reminders, or trauma cues, can bring about. Maggie Feinstein, Director of the Pittsburgh 10.27 Healing Partnership (Resiliency Center), said about this tendency, “The vicarious trauma that people experience. . . for the people in the broader circles, they feel that they may be in a space where they will be attached.”

While in an ideal world, hate-based mass violence would not exist and people would no longer be targeted by the color of their skin, the religion they practice, or other personal characteristics, the NMVVRC is dedicated to supporting those who experience these horrendous acts, as well as those who help hate-motivated mass violence victims and survivors on their journey toward recovery.

Angela Moreland, PhD
Associate Director
National Mass Violence Victim Resource Center
Medical University of South Carolina

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