REU Site: The Scope and Consequences of Hate Crime Victimization in the South

This project is funded from the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program in the SBE Directorate. It has both scientific and societal benefits, and integrates research and education. The REU site in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology (SCJC-REU) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to engage in an immersive research experience examining hate crimes in the South.

Funded by the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites program in the SBE Directorate, this SCJC-REU site engages students in a collaborative research environment to gain an understanding of the research process through experiential learning, field experience, and working with experienced faculty mentors and graduate students on an emerging issue within criminal justice. This project, REU Site: The Scope and Consequences of Hate Crime Victimization in the South, focuses on the extent and scope of hate crimes, discrimination, and stigmatization.

Over three years, each cohort of students work on a different aspect of this project. In Year 1 (2022), the focus is on experiences, perceptions, and concerns with regards to stigmatization and victimization based. In Year 2 (2023), the SCJC-REU team examines the extent and scope of hate crimes in Arkansas through the distribution and analysis of a statewide survey.

In Year 3 (2024), the policies, procedures, and decision-making processes of the law enforcement who handle hate crime incidents in Arkansas are explored, in addition to the perceptions of lawmakers and the obstacles in passing hate crime legislation in Arkansas. Through these projects, students learn how to conduct meaningful research that can contribute positively to the NSF’s mission to promote public welfare by heightening public awareness of hate crimes along with obstacles to social integration, reporting, and seeking support after experiencing hate crimes.

The SCJC-REU provides students the opportunity for in-depth mentorship in theory, skills, and application to cultivate research curiosity, to build experiences conducting independent research, and apply research to real-world issues. Specifically, the goals are to: 1) recruit participants with an interest in social research, especially, but not limited to, underrepresented undergraduate students, 2) provide and cultivate experiences that involve theory, research skills, and application, 3) increase knowledge about substantive areas, methodological techniques, and increase participants’ ability to conduct independent research through hands-on research experiences, 4) strengthen professional skills through a series of interactive workshops, invited expert speakers, and interactions with criminal justice professionals, 5) inspire and motivate students to continue conducting research, and 6) prepare students to apply to and attend graduate school in criminology, criminal justice, or related disciplines.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.