Victims of hate acts in California are not getting the support they need

Key takeaways

• 31% of Californians who experienced hate had unmet needs for support after the hate act.
• 20% of Californians who experienced hate in the past year faced six or more hate acts in that time period.
• A new qualitative survey showed that some people who experienced hate acts changed their daily routines, became more distrustful of strangers and described physical and mental health impacts.

Nearly a third of the 3.1 million Californians ages 12 and older who experienced a hate act did not receive the support they needed after the most severe hate act they experienced, according to a study published today by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR).

UCLA CHPR also released a companion study, in partnership with researchers at the Public Health Institute, that compiled personal stories from victims of hate acts about barriers to receiving support and how their experiences affected their mental and physical health, day-to-day behaviors and even personal finances.

Rates of unmet need for support were higher for American Indians or Alaska Natives (44%) and Black or African Americans (42%) than the state average for all Californians (31%), according to UCLA's 2024 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), which asked participants about their experiences in the previous year. Meanwhile, 20% of Asian and 30% of white Californians reported unmet needs.

Unmet needs refer to instances in which people said they needed help or support after their experiences with hate but did not receive it.

Hate acts targeting Californians totaled more than 17 million

Hate acts include both hate crimes and non-criminal incidents motivated by bias against people based on their identities, characteristics or beliefs. Hate acts include physical violence, verbal abuse, cyberbullying, property damage and other types of incidents (e.g., emotional abuse).

CHIS data show that there were more than 17 million hate acts targeting Californians in the 12 months prior to when they were surveyed. And of the 3.1 million Californians ages 12 and older who reported experiencing a hate act, 20% faced six or more hate acts in that time period.

Of the respondents who experienced hate, those identifying as female were more likely to say they had unmet needs compared with males (37% vs 25%). Adults who reported unstable housing were nearly twice as likely (50%) to report unmet needs compared with those with stable housing (27%). Additionally, adults who reported having a disability were more likely (41%) to report unmet support needs compared with adults without a disability (25%).

"While Californians faced an alarmingly high prevalence of hate acts, members of some of the most vulnerable populations, like those with unstable housing and people with disabilities, are disproportionately more likely to report unmet support needs after experiencing hate," said Alex Bates, CHIS senior data analyst and lead author of the study.

Research has shown that both experiencing and witnessing hate can be associated with several serious mental and physical consequences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances and more.

"The findings from our study can help policymakers, health care professionals, advocates and researchers better understand who is not receiving the care they need and where the need is greatest," Bates said.

The study also examined regional variations regarding experiences with hate acts. Residents in Northern/Sierra counties who experienced hate encountered significantly more acts per person on average (11.6) compared with the statewide average (5.6), and those in Los Angeles County significantly fewer (4.2).

Only 12% of residents in Northern/Sierra Counties who experienced an act of hate in the past year received counseling, therapy, or another type of mental health support after the most severe hate act they encountered, compared with the statewide average of 20%.

Unmet needs include mental health support, legal assistance, time off work

In 2023, the California Civil Rights Department began sponsoring questions that were added to the annual CHIS to gain a clearer understanding of the overall impact of hate acts across California. CHIS is the largest population-representative state health survey in the United States.

Mental health support was the most common support received after experiencing the most severe hate act (20%) and, among those who reported any unmet needs, the most common unmet need (38%).

Other common unmet needs included:

• Physical protection (23%)
• Help reporting to or working with police (22%)
• Legal assistance (21%)
• Financial assistance (18%)
• Receiving time off from work (14%)
• Receiving accountability or validation (e.g., "acknowledgement of the problem from landlord" or "accountability from employer") (9%)

Notably, 38% of those with unmet support needs reported having multiple types of unmet needs.

Interviewees indicate ongoing impacts after experiencing a hate act

To better understand the specific impacts of hate acts on Californians, researchers interviewed 53 adults who participated in the 2024 CHIS and who had said they experienced a hate act in the previous 12 months.

One key finding is that respondents said the social and political context played a role in trying to understand offenders' motivations.

"In interviews, some respondents described experiences that may not strictly meet the hate act definition, but to the people who were victims these were hate acts," said Valerie Steinmetz, program director at the Public Health Institute and one of the qualitative study authors. "With hate acts, intent is important but it's not the only thing that matters. The context shapes how people are affected."

Asking people to share memories and reactions provided researchers with powerful specificity about the ongoing impacts of experiencing a hate act.

"Combining the rigorous survey data with a qualitative study in which people share details, such as that they no longer shop at the same stores, avoid taking the bus or have physical health problems, tells us not only what happened but also how people were affected," Steinmetz said.

Two of the replies:

• "I'm there sitting and they're [the kids] just playing around in the front yard. I don't like that anymore. I always tell them [play] in the backyard. I put fences, you know, because I don't feel safe, for them."
• "Before any of this had happened, I would … say 'hi' and 'bye,' like neighborly things to one of the other ladies who lived there. But yeah, it just kind of has made me more hesitant to be as friendly or trusting of other people."

Many survey participants described financial impacts. Some spent money on security cameras and doorbells, repairing damaged property and using rideshare services instead of public transit.

Coping after a hate act

They also provided their thoughts about coping strategies following the incidents. Some respondents normalized the act, seeing it as a regular part of their lives. In some cases, respondents wondered whether the hate act warranted an official response from authorities, such as verbal acts that were seen as less serious compared with physical violence and property damage. Some respondents were unaware of existing resources or how to report a hate act.

Among those who did report the act, several voiced frustrations over unsatisfactory responses when trying to obtain or receive support.

"The two new studies point to critical gaps in the utilization of and access to support services," said Todd Hughes, director of the California Health Interview Survey. "Taken together, they illustrate the very human toll that acts of hate have on people who experience them."