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Several years ago, I wrote a blog about the complex economic, cultural, and social factors that usually come together to create a perfect storm, with hate crimes as an emerging consequence. I focused on the unintended effects of rapid technological development over the past 50 years, which boosted economic productivity but also led to job losses and reduced demand for labor. With unemployment comes not only economic instability but also deep frustration and a loss of personal dignity for millions who feel powerless and a sense of having been culturally discarded.
In such a social context, political leaders often exploit voter frustration and helplessness by offering simple solutions to complex economic and cultural changes. A common tactic is to blame socially marginalized groups, such as immigrants or minorities, for social and economic problems arising from the unintended consequences of fundamental societal change.
A combination of unemployment, loss of personal dignity, and exploitative political leadership is a recipe for social unrest and hyper-partisan divide. Such a confluence of psychosocial forces increases the potential for a level of frustration to become combustible.
Still, the great majority of people do not become hateful or violent. But a small minority often does, and that minority fuels further unrest. It pays then to identify the characteristics of those individuals who are at risk of perpetrating violence that is not out of personal animus, but because the victims belong to a category of people whom perpetrators have identified as the source of society’s ills and as representations of cultural problems.
What Leads Someone to Commit a Hate Crime?
Hate crimes are driven by bias against specific groups that are envisaged as the cause of a country’s problems, and violence as the remedy. As of September 2025, the FBI reported 341 such shootings, resulting in 331 deaths caused by perpetrators motivated by hate against individuals belonging to these groups or categories. For example, at the start of the year, a self-described follower of ISIS drove a truck into a crowd celebrating on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people.
It is easy to understand a random act of violence committed by a psychotic individual who, for example, was delusional. Though most psychotic individuals are not violent, those with paranoid delusions, especially if they are also experiencing command hallucinations (that is, inner voices telling them to act out), are at risk of acting violently.
But almost all hate crimes, it turns out, are not caused by symptoms of a major mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or by drug addiction. Although personality disorders, especially antisocial personality, are linked to violent offending, there is no evidence of a direct connection between personality disorders and the motivation to commit crimes of hate. Antisocial individuals, for instance, are more motivated to commit crimes by a desire to fulfill personal needs (money, power) rather than by ideological frustrations.
Research has identified several personality and demographic traits associated with a higher likelihood of committing hate crimes, including:
- male gender
- cultural sense of identity threatened by changing social mores and demographics
- feeling aggrieved about one’s social position
- a thrill-seeking temperament
- a propensity for retaliatory behavior when perceiving ideological injustices
Of particular concern are individuals whose identity is tied to resentments about their place in society. Such traits undermine basic trust in the shared norms and assumptions that support social life (e.g., “All people are created equal,” “The U.S. is a melting pot,” and “Nobody is above the law”).
In other words, these individuals lack epistemic trust—confidence in social institutions and in the reliability of the knowledge and values those institutions promote. When personal and cultural alienation deepen, frustration grows, and the willingness to consider destructive actions increases.
Hate Crimes in the Current Political Climate
Personality Essential Reads
Now, consider a cultural context that’s brewing with cultural changes, social unrest, mega-partisanship, and grievance-filled conspiratorial theories, fueled by political leaders for their own parochial political purposes. Still, the great majority of people with social identity and who are resentful and socially alienated do not commit hate crimes.
Yet a small portion—those who perceive themselves as especially marginalized and aggrieved—will pose a significant risk, particularly when provoked by an unscrupulous leader or by careless influencers who exaggerate dangers and stoke grievances against political rivals.
The political trajectory of Vance Luther Boelter provides an exemplar. In June 2025, he allegedly shot Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman, her husband, and her dog, killing all three. After his arrest, the authorities found a list he’d compiled with dozens of potential targets, including many pro-choice politicians. A childhood friend of Mr. Boelter described him in an interview as one with an inner “darkness” and who was prejudiced, grievance-fixated, and became ideological over time.
An FBI affidavit indicated that Boelter had texted his family, telling them to “prepare for war.” A behavioral science expert who reviewed Belter’s online writings told a Washington reporter that the assassin was aligned with extremist political views. The Guardian described him as having a “Prepper Identity,” as one who views the world as a dangerous place. He was an ideal candidate for a hate crime, ready to be ignited.
Although it may be difficult to identify troubled individuals who pose a danger to society, we can—and should—hold leaders accountable when their words and actions sow division and risk tragic consequences
