U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Identity-Based Bullying Initiative

© REDPIXEL.PL / Shutterstock.com (see reuse policy).
Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Bullying: An OJJDP Initiative Logo. Features hands of various colors in a circle.
Horizontal Blue Line
Horizontal Blue Line

About the Initiative

Group of children image
© Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com (see reuse policy).

In 2021 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) launched a comprehensive national initiative to prevent youth hate crimes and identity-based bullying. Operating from a youth-based lens that focuses on prevention and early intervention, OJJDP is taking a multipronged approach through this initiative to:

  • Increase awareness of youth hate crimes and bias-based bullying.
  • Identify best practices and evidence-based strategies to build protective factors in youth and help youth resist and disengage from extremist hate groups.
  • Ensure youth have a voice on the topic of hate crime and an opportunity for partners to work meaningfully with and for young people.
  • Provide grantees, interested communities, and the field at large tools to change the attitude and behavior of young hate-crime offenders and at-risk youth.

The initiative includes national youth roundtables, the development of a youth hate crime prevention curriculum, multiple virtual symposium, and a series of webinars and microlearnings.

Youth Hate Crime and Identity-based Bullying Prevention Curriculum

This multi-phased curriculum is intended for grantees, interested communities, and the field at large to use with middle and high school age youth, including youth in the juvenile justice system and those at risk for involvement.

The goal of the curriculum is to build protective factors in youth, change the attitude and behavior of the young hate crime offender, and help individuals working with these youth to better understand the potential of advanced communications technologies to break down cultural barriers and address bias.

The curriculum is informed by the discussions and insights received from youth during the initiative’s youth roundtables. 

Access the Curriculum

Administrator Ryan Highlights "Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum"

Hear from Administrator Ryan about the benefits of OJJDP's “Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum." This new multi-phase interactive curriculum was designed to keep children safe in schools and communities. 

Virtual Symposia

October 2023 Virtual Symposium

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) hosted its second Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Virtual Symposium from October 17-18, 2023.

Topics Included:

  • Research and Trends: Identity-Based Bullying, Youth Hate Crimes, and Hate Groups Two Years Later
  • Understanding the Nexus of Hate and Targeted Violence
  • Equipping Communities to Support Vulnerable Populations: Strategies and Tools
  • What is Happening to Our Kids Online? Preventing Cyberbullying, Extremism, Radicalization, and Cyberhate

Access resources from the October 2023 symposium:

October 2021 Virtual Symposium

From Oct. 27-28, 2021, OJJDP held its first virtual symposium "Understanding and Preventing Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying" on preventing and combating identity-based bullying and criminal extremist hate groups as they impact our nation's youth.

This symposium addressed important topics such as current trends and research on identity-based bullying, cyberbullying, youth-related hate crimes, and how hate groups use social media and technology to reach, recruit, and radicalize youth. Panel discussions provided programs, best practices, and evidence-based strategies on how schools, families, law enforcement, and communities can work together to build protective factors in youth and help youth resist and disengage from extremist hate groups.

Access resources from the October 2021 symposium:

View the October 2023 Virtual Symposium Videos:

View the October 2021 Virtual Symposium Videos:

Webinars and Microlearnings

Group of teenagers sitting on the grass
©RyFlip/shutterstock (see reuse policy).

These webinars and microlearnings provide youth justice professionals, law enforcement, and school communities an understanding of youth hate crimes and hate groups along with strategies to prevent hate crimes and mitigate microaggressions and implicit bias. 

Youth Roundtables

OJJDP recognizes the importance of partnering with young people and ensuring that they are not only heard but understood, engaged, empowered, and supported to help lead efforts to identify, intervene, and prevent hate crime in our communities.

As such, OJJDP convened a series of roundtable discussions with youth to provide youth a voice on the topic of hate crime, identity-based bullying, and radicalization of youth by hate groups. These events provided an opportunity for OJJDP and our partner organizations to work meaningfully with and for young people. Youth engaged in various activities during each 2-hour roundtable, and their input will play a critical role in the development of the “Youth Hate Crimes and Identity-Based Bullying Prevention Curriculum."

OJJDP traveled to California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, and Texas to hold these roundtable sessions with youth.

Fact Sheet

Four smiling juveniles looking at the camera
© FatCamera/Shutterstock.com (see reuse policy).

Preventing Youth Hate Crimes & Identity-Based Bullying Fact Sheet

OJJDP has published a one-page fact sheet summarizing key takeaways and resources from the Initiative. The fact sheet highlights the initiative’s comprehensive preventing youth hate crimes literature review, 2-day virtual symposium, 13-part webinar series, and 19 youth roundtable discussions. The fact sheet also provides an overview of the bullying prevention curriculum OJJDP has developed for the field, elevates important statistics on hate crimes and the prevalence of identity-based bullying, and includes links to related resources on OJJDP’s website. OJJDP will provide an in-depth look at the work summarized in the fact sheet in the forthcoming special report on the initiative.

Access the Fact Sheet