Supporting Attachments

Appendix List
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Recruitment materials
Informed consent for online survey
Online survey instruments
Cognitive interviewing email script
Cognitive interviewing informed consent for participants
Cognitive interviewing informed consent for interviewers
Cognitive testing protocols
a. Instrument version one: Victim cognitive testing protocol
b. Instrument version one: Nonvictims cognitive testing protocol
c. Instrument version two: Victim cognitive testing protocol
d. Instrument version two: Nonvictims cognitive testing protocol

JeffPdf to finisMTurk HIT
Answer a short survey about your experiences with being a victim of crime
•
•
•
•
•

Please only respond if you are living in the United States, are at least 18 years
of age, and are fluent in English.
The system is set up so that you cannot accidentally complete the survey more
than once, but please do not attempt to answer the survey twice.
Click on the link below to start the survey (note: the survey will open in a new
tab or window)
Upon finishing the survey, you will be given a completion code
Enter the completion code below

click here to begin

Completion Code:

Facebook Ad Text:
Have you experienced a crime that you believe was motivated by prejudice or bigotry
against you because of your characteristics or religious beliefs? RTI International, a
nonprofit research company, is working with the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics to
conduct research for the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).
We are looking for persons age 18 or older to complete a 5-minute survey about
experiences with different types of crimes, including hate or bias crimes. Each
participant who completes the survey will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card and
may have the option to participate in an additional interview for a $25 Amazon.com
Gift Card.
Survey responses are private and confidential.
For more information and to access the survey, click the link.

Appendix 2 – online eligibility and consent
Eligibility and Consent
Thank you for your interest in participating in our study.
First, we need to ask a few questions to determine your eligibility and your ability to participate in the
interview:
Q1.

Do you currently live in the United States?
a. Yes
b. No  INELIGIBLE

INELIGIBLE. I’m sorry but based on your responses you are not eligible to participate in this study. Thank you
for your interest.
[Programmer: END SURVEY]
Q2.

Which of the following age groups includes your age?

1
2
3
4
5

Under 18  INELIGIBLE
18-25
26-34
35-49
50 or Older

INELIGIBLE. I’m sorry but based on your responses you are not eligible to participate in this study. Thank you
for your interest.
[Programmer: END SURVEY]
Q3.

Are you or any of your family members an employee of RTI International?
1
2

Yes  INELIGIBLE
No

INELIGIBLE. I’m sorry but based on your responses you are not eligible to participate in this study. Thank you
for your interest.
[Programmer: END SURVEY]
ELIGIBLE
[Programmer: Show Consent Screen]

Page 1 of 3

Consent to Participate in a Research Study
This study is being conducted by RTI International on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, United States
Department of Justice. It asks about any experiences you may have had with crime, particularly crimes
motivated by prejudice or bigotry because of your race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation,
disability, or religion. We estimate these questions will take 3-5 minutes to complete.
Your participation is voluntary, and you may stop the interview or choose to skip questions at any time. The
information you provide will be kept private to the extent permitted by law and only used for statistical
purposes. If you have any comments or question about the study, please contact the RTI Office of Research
Protection at 1-866-214-2043.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of
information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The OMB number for this study is
1121-0339 (expiration date 04/30/2022).
□ I have read and understand the information above and consent to take the survey.
□ I decline to take the survey.

2

3

Crime Survey – v1
INTRO: This survey asks questions about possible experiences with crime during the past three years,
that is since of 2018. We estimate these questions will take approximately 3 minutes to
complete.
1. In the last 3 years, did anyone break into your home, garage, storage unit or shed or get in
without permission? Exclude break‐ins of vehicles or trespassing in a yard.
a. Yes
b. No
2. In the last 3 years, since 2018, was a car, truck, or other motor vehicle belonging to
anyone in your household ...
a. Stolen?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Vandalized or broken into?
i. Yes
ii. No
3. Was anything else stolen from you in the last 3 years (For example: cash, a wallet, purse, watch,
jewelry, cell phone, tablet, or anything else that might have been stolen.)?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Vandalism is when someone deliberately damages or destroys something belonging to you.
Examples are breaking windows, slashing tires, or painting graffiti on walls. In the past 3 years,
has anyone vandalized your home, car, or something else that belongs to you?
a. Yes
b. No
5. In the last 3 years, has anyone physically attacked you?
a. Yes
b. No
6. In the last 3 years, has anyone threatened you with physical violence?
a. Yes
b. No
7. In the last 3 years, did you experience any type of unwanted sexual contact?
a. Yes
b. No
8. In the last 3 years, did anyone attempt any type of forced unwanted sexual contact? Include
times when someone threatened or tried to force you but did not succeed.
a. Yes
b. No
If all responses 1-8=no, skip to question 16
9. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race

- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious beliefs.
Thinking about the crimes that happened to you in the past 3 years, do you think any of these were a
hate crime targeted at you?
a. Yes
b. No

GO TO 10
GO TO 11

10. How many times in the past 3 years did you experience a hate crime?
a. Once (skip to 11)
b. More than once (show instruction)
For the remaining questions, please think about the most recent time you experienced a hate crime.
11. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes to any, move to 12
12. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
(ask 14)
b. No
(skip to question 16)

13. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
(ask 14)
b. No
(skip to question 16)

14. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
15. In your own words, please describe hate crime you experienced. What
happened? Where did it happen? Did you know the offender? What made you think this was
because of your [protected characteristic(s) indicated in survey, if applicable]. Please do not use
proper names in describing the location or offender.

The last set of questions ask about your personal characteristics.
16. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
1
2
3
4

High School Graduate
Some College
College Graduate
Post-Graduate degree

17. What is your gender?
1
2
3
4

Male
Female
Transgender
None of these

18. Are you Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino?
1
2
19.

Yes
No

Please choose one or more races that you consider yourself to be.
1
2
3
4
5
6

White
Black or African American
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Other (specify ____________________ )

20. Which of the following age groups includes your age?
1
2
3
4
5

Under 18
18-25
26-34
35-49
50 or Older

Thank you for completing the survey. Please enter your email address to receive your $5 Amazon.com
gift card ____________________________________.
We are interested in meeting with people who can help us review and improve a survey instrument that
is designed to measure hate crimes or crimes of prejudice or bigotry targeted against a person’s

characteristics or religious beliefs. We are looking for people who are willing to participate in private,
one-on-one interviews using videoconferencing technology to test some new questions we have
developed for this survey. Our goal is to learn whether the questions are understood and can be
answered by most people. This information will be used to finalize survey questions for a national study.
Would you be interested in participating in a 60-minute interview with a researcher? People who
complete the interview will be given a $40 Amazon.com gift card to compensate for the costs associated
with data and internet usage.
a. Yes, I would be interested in participating.
i. Email address_________________________________
b. No, I do not want to participate in this study

Crime Survey – v2
INTRO: This survey asks questions about possible experiences with crime during the past three years,
that is since of 2018. We estimate these questions will take approximately 3 minutes to
complete.
1. In the last 3 years, did anyone break into your home, garage, storage unit or shed or get in
without permission? Exclude break‐ins of vehicles or trespassing in a yard.
a. Yes
b. No
2. In the last 3 years, since 2018, was a car, truck, or other motor vehicle belonging to
anyone in your household ...
a. Stolen?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Vandalized or broken into?
i. Yes
ii. No
3. Was anything else stolen from you in the last 3 years (For example: cash, a wallet, purse, watch,
jewelry, cell phone, tablet, or anything else that might have been stolen.)?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Vandalism is when someone deliberately damages or destroys something belonging to you.
Examples are breaking windows, slashing tires, or painting graffiti on walls. In the past 3 years,
has anyone vandalized your home, car, or something else that belongs to you?
a. Yes
b. No
5. In the last 3 years, has anyone physically attacked you?
a. Yes
b. No
6. In the last 3 years, has anyone threatened you with physical violence?
a. Yes
b. No
7. In the last 3 years, did you experience any type of unwanted sexual contact?
a. Yes
b. No
8. In the last 3 years, did anyone attempt any type of forced unwanted sexual contact? Include
times when someone threatened or tried to force you but did not succeed.
a. Yes
b. No
If all responses 1-8=no, skip to question 14
9. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It

is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Thinking about the crimes that happened to you in the past 3 years, do you think any of these
were done to you because the offender was targeting you due to prejudice or bigotry toward
those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes
1. Specify_________________________________
ii. No
If yes to any, skip to 11
10. Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
(ask 11)
b. No
(skip to question 14)
11. How many times in the past 3 years did you experience a crime because the offender was
targeting ?
a. Once (skip to 12)
b. More than once (show instruction)
For the remaining questions, please think about the most recent time this happened to you.
12. Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

i. Yes
ii. No
Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes Specify: _________________________________________
ii. No

13. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes (ask Q14)
ii. No (skip to Q15)
14. Did you tell the police that you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
15. In your own words, please describe incident in which an offender
targeted you because of your characteristics or religious beliefs. What happened? Where did it
happen? What made you think this was because of your [protected characteristic(s) indicated in
survey, if applicable]. Did you know the offender? Please do not use proper names in describing
the location or offender.

The last set of questions ask about your personal characteristics.
16. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
1
2
3
4

High School Graduate
Some College
College Graduate
Post-Graduate degree

17. What is your gender?
1
2
3
4

Male
Female
Transgender
None of these

18. Are you Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino?
1
2
19.

Yes
No

Please choose one or more races that you consider yourself to be.
1
2
3
4
5
6

White
Black or African American
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Other (specify ____________________ )

20. Which of the following age groups includes your age?
1
2
3
4
5

Under 18
18-25
26-34
35-49
50 or Older

Thank you for completing the survey. Please enter your email address to receive your $5 Amazon.com
gift card ____________________________________.
We are interested in meeting with people who can help us review and improve a survey instrument that
is designed to measure hate crimes or crimes of prejudice or bigotry targeted against a person’s
characteristics or religious beliefs. We are looking for people who are willing to participate in private,
one-on-one interviews using videoconferencing technology to test some new questions we have

developed for this survey. Our goal is to learn whether the questions are understood and can be
answered by most people. This information will be used to finalize survey questions for a national study.
Would you be interested in participating in a 60-minute interview with a researcher? People who
complete the interview will be given a $40 Amazon.com gift card to compensate for the costs associated
with data and internet usage.
a. Yes, I would be interested in participating.
i. Email address_________________________________
b. No, I do not want to participate in this study

Dear _______,
My name is Magda Kucharski-Schwartz and I am a Researcher with RTI International, a nonprofit
research institute based out of Durham, North Carolina.
Recently, you completed our Screener Survey online and I am reaching out to confirm your interest and
availability for our study.
We would like to schedule a 60-minute virtual Zoom videoconference interview with you.
Information collected in the interview will be kept completely confidential. Attached to this email is an
informed consent form for you to read prior to your videoconference interview. Before starting the
interview, we will ask if you have any questions about this consent form and if you agree to participate.
We are offering a $40 electronic Amazon.com Gift Card for your participation in the study to
compensate for the costs associated with data and internet usage.
Please respond to this email with your availability over the next two weeks [MM/DD/YY – MM/DD/YY]
for a 60-minute virtual videoconference interview through Zoom. Once I have your availability, I will get
back in touch with you to schedule a date and time.
We would greatly value your participation in this important study. Please let me know if you have any
questions or would like me to set up a call with you.
Best,
[recruiter sign off]
Phone call/voicemail follow up:
Hi, my name is Magda Kucharski-Schwartz and I’m a researcher with RTI International. Recently, you
completed our Screener Survey online and I am reaching out to confirm your interest and availability
for our study. You can give me a call back at (860) 713-8140 or at [email protected]. Thank you!

Scheduling Appointment Email:
Dear _____,
Thank you for your interest in participating in our study and for providing your availability. I have
scheduled you to be interviewed on _____(Date) at _____(Time). The interview will take place on zoom
at this link: _________
If directed for a password, the password is: ______
The interviewer will be _____.
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like me to set up an additional call with you.

Best,
[recruiter sign off]
Follow Up:
Dear ____,
My name is Magda Kucharski-Schwartz and I am a Researcher with RTI International, a nonprofit
research institute based out of Durham, North Carolina. I am following up regarding the email I sent you
on Friday, May 15th.
Recently, you completed our Screener Survey online and I am reaching out to confirm your interest and
availability for our study.
Please respond to this email with your availability over the next two weeks [05/19/20 – 06/02/20] for a
60-minute virtual videoconference interview through Zoom. Once I have your availability, I will get back
in touch with you to schedule a date and time.
If I don’t hear back from you by Friday, May 22nd, I will try to reach you by phone. If you are no longer
interested, you can let us know by replying to this email. We would greatly value your participation in
this important study. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
[recruiter sign-off]

Appendix 5a – informed consent for participants (victims)
Crime Survey Informed Consent
What is the purpose of this study?
RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization, is conducting a study on the wording of questions used
for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The BJS, part of the
United States Department of Justice, is sponsoring this study. The purpose of this study is to collect information
that will help us improve the way that questions are asked about in the survey; specifically, questions asking
about crimes motivated by prejudice or bigotry against someone’s race, ethnicity, national origin, gender,
gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.
The study will be conducted through a videoconferencing platform and will take about 1 hour to complete. Your
participation is voluntary, and you may stop the interview or choose to skip any questions at any time. The
information you provide will be kept private to the extent permitted by law and only used for statistical
purposes. If at any time it is not safe for you to continue the survey, please exit the interview immediately. If
you take part in this study, you will be one of about 60 people to do so. You are being invited to participate in
this research study because you expressed interest and met the criteria for inclusion.
What will I be asked to do?
RTI is asking you to help pretest some of the questions that will be asked in BJS’s NCVS. To clarify, we are not
asking you to complete the survey; rather, we are asking you to help with developing the survey questions, by
telling us whether the questions make sense and how you would go about answering them. The interviewer will
read you questions that ask about your experiences with crime. After each question, the interviewer will ask you
follow-up questions such as whether you understood the question or what you were thinking about when you
answered the question. The interviewer will also give you a series of made up scenarios and will ask you to
answer the questions as though you were the person in the scenario. This study is completely voluntary.
You will need to ensure that you have a laptop or desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone with audio and video
capabilities to complete the interview. You will also need to ensure that you have a private location to complete
the interview out of earshot of others and without interruption. The information you provide in the study will be
handled confidentially, meaning that your name will not be associated with the information you provide. Your
name will not be used in any recordings or reports and your information will be combined with information
from other people taking part in the study. Your contact information will be deleted at the end of the study.
Are there any risks or benefits to participating?
There is some risk of emotional distress given the personal nature of the topics covered in the survey. If you
choose to participate, you are free to stop answering questions at any time or skip any questions you do not wish
to answer. If you wish to talk with someone about experiences with crimes motivated by prejudice or bigotry,
please see the resource list provided at the end of this document.
There are no direct benefits to you for participating in the study, but your participation will help improve the
NCVS and national statistics on this topic. You will also receive a $40 Amazon.com gift card to help cover
costs associated with data and internet usage. This gift card will be sent via either text or email, based on your
preference and the interviewer will confirm where you want it to be sent.
Page 1 of 4

What If I Have Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns about this study, you may contact NAME by phone at: 1-800-334-8571
x(21236). If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, contact the RTI Office of
Research Protection at 1-866-214-2043.
AN RTI INTERVIEWER WILL REVIEW THIS FORM WITH YOU BEFORE THE INTERVIEW.

Resources for Victims of Crime
Victim Connect Resource Center
https://victimconnect.org/
The National Center for Victims of Crime
Crime victim resource and advocacy organization
Telephone: 1-855-484-2846
www.victimsofcrime.org

U.S. Resource Map of Crime Victim Services & Information
Interactive map listing victim assistance and resources by location
https://www.ovc.gov/map.html

2

Appendix 5b – informed consent for participants (nonvictims)
Crime Survey Informed Consent
What is the purpose of this study?
RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization, is conducting a study on the wording of questions used
for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The BJS, part of the
United States Department of Justice, is sponsoring this study. The purpose of this study is to collect information
that will help us improve the way that questions are asked about in the survey; specifically, questions asking
about crimes motivated by prejudice or bigotry against someone’s race, ethnicity, national origin, gender,
gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.
The study will be conducted through a videoconferencing platform and will take about 1 hour to complete. Your
participation is voluntary, and you may stop the interview or choose to skip any questions at any time. The
information you provide will be kept private to the extent permitted by law and only used for statistical
purposes. If at any time it is not safe for you to continue the survey, please exit the interview immediately. If
you take part in this study, you will be one of about 60 people to do so. You are being invited to participate in
this research study because you expressed interest and met the criteria for inclusion.
What will I be asked to do?
RTI is asking you to help pretest some of the questions that will be asked in BJS’s NCVS. To clarify, we are not
asking you to complete the survey; rather, we are asking you to help with developing the survey questions, by
telling us whether the questions make sense and how you would go about answering them. The interviewer will
also give you a series of made up scenarios and will ask you to answer the questions as though you were the
person in the scenario. After each question, the interviewer will ask you follow-up questions such as whether
you understood the question or what you were thinking about when you answered the question. This study is
completely voluntary.
You will need to ensure that you have a laptop or desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone with audio and video
capabilities to complete the interview. You will also need to ensure that you have a private location to complete
the interview out of earshot of others and without interruption. The information you provide in the study will be
handled confidentially, meaning that your name will not be associated with the information you provide. Your
name will not be used in any recordings or reports and your information will be combined with information
from other people taking part in the study. Your contact information will be deleted at the end of the study.
Are there any risks or benefits to participating?
There is some risk of emotional distress given the personal nature of the topics covered in the survey. If you
choose to participate, you are free to stop answering questions at any time or skip any questions you do not wish
to answer. If you wish to talk with someone about experiences with crimes motivated by prejudice or bigotry,
please see the resource provided at the end of this document.
There are no direct benefits to you for participating in the study, but your participation will help to improve the
NCVS and national statistics on this topic. You will also receive a $40 Amazon.com gift card to help cover
costs associated with data and internet usage. This gift card will be sent via either text or email, based on your
preference and the interviewer will confirm where you want it to be sent.
What If I Have Questions?

3

If you have any questions or concerns about this study, you may contact NAME by phone at: 1-800-334-8571
x(21236). If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, contact the RTI Office of
Research Protection at 1-866-214-2043.
AN RTI INTERVIEWER WILL REVIEW THIS FORM WITH YOU BEFORE THE INTERVIEW.

Resources for Victims of Crime
Victim Connect Resource Center
https://victimconnect.org/
The National Center for Victims of Crime
Crime victim resource and advocacy organization
Telephone: 1-855-484-2846
www.victimsofcrime.org

U.S. Resource Map of Crime Victim Services & Information
Interactive map listing victim assistance and resources by location
https://www.ovc.gov/map.html

4

Appendix 6a – informed consent for interviewer (victims)
Crime Survey Informed Consent
What is the purpose of this study?
RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization, is conducting a study on the wording of questions used
for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The BJS, part of the
United States Department of Justice, is sponsoring this study. The purpose of this study is to collect information
that will help us improve the way that questions are asked about in the survey; specifically, questions asking
about crimes motivated by prejudice or bigotry against someone’s race, ethnicity, national origin, gender,
gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.
The study will be conducted through a videoconferencing platform and will take about 1 hour to complete. Your
participation is voluntary, and you may stop the interview or choose to skip any questions at any time. The
information you provide will be kept private to the extent permitted by law and only used for statistical
purposes. If at any time it is not safe for you to continue the survey, please exit the interview immediately. If
you take part in this study, you will be one of about 60 people to do so. You are being invited to participate in
this research study because you expressed interest and met the criteria for inclusion.
What will I be asked to do?
RTI is asking you to help pretest some of the questions that will be asked in BJS’s NCVS. To clarify, we are not
asking you to complete the survey; rather, we are asking you to help with developing the survey questions, by
telling us whether the questions make sense and how you would go about answering them. The interviewer will
read you questions that ask about your experiences with crime. After each question, the interviewer will ask you
follow-up questions such as whether you understood the question or what you were thinking about when you
answered the question. The interviewer will also give you a series of made up scenarios and will ask you to
answer the questions as though you were the person in the scenario. This study is completely voluntary.
You will need to ensure that you have a laptop or desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone with audio and video
capabilities to complete the interview. You will also need to ensure that you have a private location to complete
the interview out of earshot of others and without interruption. The information you provide in the study will be
handled confidentially, meaning that your name will not be associated with the information you provide. Your
name will not be used in any recordings or reports and your information will be combined with information
from other people taking part in the study. Your contact information will be deleted at the end of the study.
Are there any risks or benefits to participating?
There is some risk of emotional distress given the personal nature of the topics covered in the survey. If you
choose to participate, you are free to stop answering questions at any time or skip any questions you do not wish
to answer. If you wish to talk with someone about experiences with crimes motivated by prejudice or bigotry,
please see the resource list provided in your copy of this document.
There are no direct benefits to you for participating in the study, but your participation will help improve the
NCVS and national statistics on this topic. You will also receive a $40 Amazon.com gift card to help cover
costs associated with data and internet usage. This gift card will be sent via either text or email, based on your
preference and the interviewer will confirm where you want it to be sent.
Page 1 of 4

What If I Have Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns about this study, you may contact NAME by phone at: 1-800-334-8571
x(21236). If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, contact the RTI Office of
Research Protection at 1-866-214-2043.
Do you have any questions?
Do I have your permission to continue with this survey?
If no: I appreciate your time and consideration.
Do you agree to this interview being recorded?

Verbal Consent Certification and Signature
I certify that the nature and purpose, the potential benefits, and possible risks associated with participating in
this survey have been explained to the below-named individual and that I fully and accurately answered their
questions. A clean copy of the consent form has been sent to the participant.
___________________________________
First name of participant
____________________________________
Signature of Person Obtaining Verbal Consent

_______________
Date

___________________________________
Printed Name of Person Obtaining Verbal Consent
Verbal Consent for Interview Recording and Signature
First name of participant
____________________________________
Signature of Person Obtaining Verbal Consent

_______________
Date

___________________________________
Printed Name of Person Obtaining Verbal Consent

2

Appendix 6b – informed consent for interviewer (nonvictims)
Crime Survey Informed Consent
What is the purpose of this study?
RTI International, a not-for-profit research organization, is conducting a study on the wording of questions used
for the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The BJS, part of the
United States Department of Justice, is sponsoring this study. The purpose of this study is to collect information
that will help us improve the way that questions are asked about in the survey; specifically, questions asking
about crimes motivated by prejudice or bigotry against someone’s race, ethnicity, national origin, gender,
gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.
The study will be conducted through a videoconferencing platform and will take about 1 hour to complete. Your
participation is voluntary, and you may stop the interview or choose to skip any questions at any time. The
information you provide will be kept private to the extent permitted by law and only used for statistical
purposes. If at any time it is not safe for you to continue the survey, please exit the interview immediately. If
you take part in this study, you will be one of about 60 people to do so. You are being invited to participate in
this research study because you expressed interest and met the criteria for inclusion.
What will I be asked to do?
RTI is asking you to help pretest some of the questions that will be asked in BJS’s NCVS. To clarify, we are not
asking you to complete the survey; rather, we are asking you to help with developing the survey questions, by
telling us whether the questions make sense and how you would go about answering them. The interviewer will
also give you a series of made up scenarios and will ask you to answer the questions as though you were the
person in the scenario. After each question, the interviewer will ask you follow-up questions such as whether
you understood the question or what you were thinking about when you answered the question. This study is
completely voluntary.
You will need to ensure that you have a laptop or desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone with audio and video
capabilities to complete the interview. You will also need to ensure that you have a private location to complete
the interview out of earshot of others and without interruption. The information you provide in the study will be
handled confidentially, meaning that your name will not be associated with the information you provide. Your
name will not be used in any recordings or reports and your information will be combined with information
from other people taking part in the study. Your contact information will be deleted at the end of the study.
Are there any risks or benefits to participating?
There is some risk of emotional distress given the personal nature of the topics covered in the survey. If you
choose to participate, you are free to stop answering questions at any time or skip any questions you do not wish
to answer. If you wish to talk with someone about experiences with crimes motivated by prejudice or bigotry,
please see the resource list provided in your copy of this document.
There are no direct benefits to you for participating in the study, but your participation will help improve the
NCVS and national statistics on this topic. You will also receive a $40 Amazon.com gift card to help cover
costs associated with data and internet usage. This gift card will be sent via either text or email, based on your
preference and the interviewer will confirm where you want it to be sent.
What If I Have Questions?

3

If you have any questions or concerns about this study, you may contact NAME by phone at: 1-800-334-8571
x(21236). If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, contact the RTI Office of
Research Protection at 1-866-214-2043.
Do you have any questions?
Do I have your permission to continue with this survey?
If no: I appreciate your time and consideration.
Do you agree to this interview being recorded?

Verbal Consent Certification and Signature
I certify that the nature and purpose, the potential benefits, and possible risks associated with participating in
this survey have been explained to the below-named individual and that I fully and accurately answered their
questions. A clean copy of the consent form has been sent to the participant.
___________________________________
First name of participant
____________________________________
Signature of Person Obtaining Verbal Consent

_______________
Date

___________________________________
Printed Name of Person Obtaining Verbal Consent
Verbal Consent for Interview Recording and Signature
First name of participant
____________________________________
Signature of Person Obtaining Verbal Consent

_______________
Date

___________________________________
Printed Name of Person Obtaining Verbal Consent

4

Appendix 7a – V1- Victim Cognitive Testing Protocol
Hate Crime Questions – v1
On behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak
with me today. I greatly appreciate it.
Purpose: The purpose of this interview is to get your feedback on some survey questions about crimes
motivated by prejudice and bigotry. We want to understand what the questions mean to you, and you
will be helping us improve the questions and make them as clear as possible.
Procedure: I would like you to please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge and to
know that there are no right or wrong answers. After some of the survey questions, I may stop and ask
you follow-up questions to better understand your answer and the way you thought about the question.
Most of my follow-up questions will ask what you thought about certain words or phrases or what you
think a question is trying to ask.
As we are going through the survey, please feel free to tell me anything that comes to mind or to ask me
anything you are unclear about. Feel free to tell me what you are thinking as you are answering these
questions. We want your honest opinions about what you like and dislike and what you do and don’t
understand so we can improve this survey. I also want to remind you that you do not have to answer
any questions you do not want to, and you can end the interview at any time. If I ask you a question you
do not want to answer, you can just say “Pass.”
Once you have answered all the survey questions, thinking about your own experiences, I will ask you to
read through each of the scenarios that I put on the screen and answer the questions while imagining
that you were the person in the scenario.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
For these questions, please think about any crimes you experienced in the past 3 years (that is, since
XX, XXXX). You answered questions about these experiences in the online survey that you recently
completed about hate crime.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious beliefs.
Thinking about the crimes that happened to you in the past 3 years, do you think any of these were a
hate crime targeted at you?

a. Yes
GO TO 10
b. No
GO TO 11
Could you tell me in your own words what you think this question is asking about?
If YES: Could you tell me a little bit about what happened?
Probe, if needed: How many times has this happened to you?

What do the terms ‘prejudice’ and ‘bigotry’ mean to you?
What does it mean to you when I say ‘an offender targets someone because of their
characteristics or religious beliefs?’
When I say, ‘this could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain
characteristics or religious beliefs’ what does that mean to you? Would it be any
clearer if I said, ‘this could happen even if the offender incorrectly thinks you have
certain characteristics or religious beliefs?’
Were you targeted because of your characteristic or beliefs or because the offender
thought you had certain characteristics or beliefs?
When I ask if you were targeted because of your ethnic background or national origin,
what do you think that means? Do ‘ethnic background’ and ‘national origin’ mean
different things to you? Do you think those are different from being targeted because
of race?
What about sexual orientation and gender identity? What do those terms mean to
you in the context of this question? Do you think they refer to different things? Do you
think gender identity is different from ‘sex?’
Would it be clearer if we said ‘did the offender target you because of your gender’
instead of ‘because of your sex?’
What does it mean to you, if I say that someone was targeted because of a disability?
Was there anything confusing or unclear about this question (I’ll read the question
again)?
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes

ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this, we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that your ______________________ was the only reason that the
offender did this to you?
Probe: So do you think that if you didn’t have that characteristic, the offender
might have done this to someone else instead?
Do you think that the offender hates or dislikes all people who
are/have____________________?

If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If you didn’t have all of those characteristics, do you think the offender might have
done this to someone else instead?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: What made you think that was the reason for the crime?
IF No: Can you give me an example of what this might mean?
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes

b. No
What do you think this question is trying to get at?
If no: Can you tell me what happened during the incident you experienced that made
you think it was a hate crime?

5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was left at the scene
Do you know what a swastika is?
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
Would you answer this question differently if I asked whether the police found
evidence that this was a hate crime?
If Yes: Probe on what the police said and when they said it. Why did the police think
that it was a hate crime?
How did you learn that the police thought it was a hate crime?
IF No: Was the crime known to police? Did you learn much about the investigation?
Do you know if the police were ever looking into whether it was hate crime From what
you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
iii. Yes
iv. No
If yes: Probe on what the victim knows about the offender’s prior crimes
d. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe the victim to describe the event, holiday, and/or location where the
incident occurred
If no: Can you think of examples of holidays, events, or places that we might be asking
about with this question?
e. Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe the victim to describe the other hate crimes and why they suspect the
incident was related
What do you think we mean by ‘local area or neighborhood’
f.

Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No

IF multiple biases were reported above, and multiple types of evidence, probe on which evidence
aligns with which type of bias.
Final Question (regardless of whether they skipped Q5): On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very
strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly do you believe that this [was/was not] a
hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Okay, now I’m going show you a scenario on the screen and ask you to read it aloud. Then I’m going to
ask you the same questions that I just asked, but I’m going to ask you to answer, as though you are the
person in the scenario (Interviewer: record order in which scenarios are asked; record all survey
questions responses, in addition to information gathered through probes).

Scenario 1 – v1
Scenario: A woman in a wheelchair is in a crowded shopping mall. Someone runs up to her, snatches the
purse from her lap, and runs away. For the next questions, please imagine that you are answering as if
you are the woman.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
woman in the scenario)?
c. Yes
GO TO 2
d. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question

2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes

ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 2 – v1
Scenario: A straight male was standing at a bus stop when 4 teenagers of a different race approached
and requested money for the bus. When the man refused, one of the teenagers said ‘Don’t say no to me,
queer’ and punched him in the face. The teenagers then grabbed his watch, ring, and wallet. For the next
questions, please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was punched and had his
things stolen.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person in the scenario)?
e. Yes
GO TO 2
f. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
What do you think it means when I say, ‘this could happen even if the offender falsely
thinks you have certain characteristics or religious beliefs?’
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 3 – v1
Scenario: A group of friends are leaving a known gay bar. As they exit the bar and begin to walk away,
someone runs up, punches one of the friends in the back of the head, and runs away. For the next
questions please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was punched.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person in the scenario)?
g. Yes
GO TO 2
h. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No

If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 4 – v1
Scenario: A man walking home from work late at night is robbed at gunpoint. The offender, who is a
different race, curses at the man and uses a racial slur as he is robbing him. For the next questions,
please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was robbed.

1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person in the scenario)?
i.
j.

Yes
GO TO 2
No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question

2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 5 – v1
Scenario: A non-Jewish person is standing on the sidewalk near a Jewish synagogue. A person comes up
with a gun and says 'Give me your money, you rich Jew. I know you've got lots of it." For the next
questions, please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was robbed.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person in the scenario)?
k. Yes
GO TO 2
l. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes

ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 6 – v1
Scenario: A man and woman meet online and go on a date. During the date, the man tells the woman
that he has been rejected in the past and doesn’t like most women. At the end of the date, the woman
tells the man that she is not interested in seeing him again. Over the next few days, she begins to feel like
he has been following her. One day she leaves her house and sees that her car is in the driveway with the
tires slashed and the word ‘Bitch’ carved into the paint. For the next questions, please imagine that you
are answering as if you are the woman.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think any that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person in the scenario)?
m. Yes
GO TO 2
n. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 7 – v1
Scenario: A Muslim family moves into a new neighborhood. One neighbor begins posting messages
online that he doesn’t want to have ‘terrorists’ living in the neighborhood. A week later the family’s
house is broken into. They don’t know who did it, but suspect it was the neighbor. For the next questions,
please imagine that you are answering as if you are part of the family whose house was broken into.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person in the scenario)?
o. Yes
GO TO 2
p. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes

ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Appendix 7b – V1- Non-Victim Cognitive Testing Protocol
Hate Crime Questions – v1
On behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak
with me today. I greatly appreciate it.
Purpose: The purpose of this interview is to get your feedback on some survey questions about crimes
motivated by prejudice and bigotry. We want to understand what the questions mean to you, and you
will be helping us improve the questions and make them as clear as possible.
Procedure: I would like you to please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge and to
know that there are no right or wrong answers. After some of the survey questions, I may stop and ask
you follow-up questions to better understand your answer and the way you thought about the question.
Most of my follow-up questions will ask what you thought about certain words or phrases or what you
think a question is trying to ask.
I will ask you to read through each of the scenarios that I put on the screen and answer the questions as
though you were the person in the scenario. As we are going through the survey, please feel free to tell
me anything that comes to mind or to ask me anything you are unclear about. Feel free to tell us what
you are thinking as you are answering these questions. We want your honest opinions about what you
like and dislike and what you do and don’t understand so we can improve this survey. I also want to
remind you that you do not have to answer any questions you do not want to, and you can end the
interview at any time. If I ask you a question you do not want to answer, you can just say “Pass.”
Do you have any questions before we begin?
Okay, now I’m going show you a scenario on the screen and ask you to read it aloud. Then I’m going to
ask you a series of questions and I want you to answer as though you are the person in the scenario
(Interviewer: always start with scenario #7 for nonvictims; after that randomize and record order in
which scenarios are asked; record all survey questions responses, in addition to information gathered
through probes ).

Scenario 7 – v1
Scenario: A Muslim family moves into a new neighborhood. One neighbor begins posting messages
online that he doesn’t want to have ‘terrorists’ living in the neighborhood. A week later the family’s
house is broken into. They don’t know who did it, but suspect it was the neighbor. For the next questions,
please answer as if you are part of the family whose house was broken into.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex

- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious beliefs.
Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at you?
a. Yes
b. No

GO TO 2
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO

Could you tell me in your own words what you think this question is asking about?
What do the terms ‘prejudice’ and ‘bigotry’ mean to you?
What does it mean to you when we say ‘an offender targets someone because of their
characteristics or religious beliefs?’
When we say, ‘this could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain
characteristics or religious beliefs’ what does that mean to you? Would it be any
clearer if I said, ‘this could happen even if the offender incorrectly thinks you have
certain characteristics or religious beliefs?’
When I ask if you were targeted because of your ethnic background or national origin,
what do you think that means? Do ‘ethnic background’ and ‘national origin’ mean
different things to you? Do you think those are different from being targeted because
of race?
What about sexual orientation and gender identity? What do those terms mean to
you in the context of this question? Do you think they refer to different things? Do you
think gender identity is different from ‘sex?’
Would it be clearer if we said ‘did the offender target you because of your gender’
instead of ‘because of your sex?’
What does it mean to you, to say that someone was targeted because of a disability?
Was there anything confusing or unclear about this question (I’ll read the question
again)?
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No

c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this?
Do you think that the offender hates or dislikes all people who
are/have____________________?

If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: What made you think that was the reason for the crime?
IF No: Can you give me an example of what this might mean?
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
What do you think this question is trying to get at?
5. Did any of the following things happen?

a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
Probe on how well “indicated” is understood.
If no: What made you say ‘no’ to this question?
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Do you know what a swastika is?
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
Would this question mean something different to you if I asked whether the police
found evidence that this was a hate crime?
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Can you think of examples of holidays, events or places that we might be asking about
with this question?
f.

Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No

Final Question (regardless of whether they skipped Q5): On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very
strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly do you believe that this [was/was not] a
hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 1 – v1
Scenario: A woman in a wheelchair is in a crowded shopping mall. Someone runs up to her, snatches the
purse from her lap, and runs away. For the next questions, please imagine that you are answering as if
you are the woman.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
woman in the scenario)?
c. Yes
GO TO 2
d. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question

2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes

ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 2 – v1
Scenario: A straight male was standing at a bus stop when 4 teenagers of a different race approached
and requested money for the bus. When the man refused, one of the teenagers said ‘Don’t say no to me,
queer’ and punched him in the face. The teenagers then grabbed his watch, ring and wallet. For the next
questions, please imagine that you are answering as if you are the man who was punched and had his
things stolen.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the man
in the scenario)?
e. Yes
GO TO 2
f. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
What do you think about when you hear the phrase, ‘this could happen even if the
offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious beliefs?’
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 3 – v1
Scenario: A group of friends are leaving a known gay bar. As they exit the bar and begin to walk away,
someone runs up, punches one of the friends in the back of the head and runs away. For the next
questions please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was punched.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person in the scenario)?
g. Yes
GO TO 2
h. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No

If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 4 – v1
Scenario: A man walking home from work late at night is robbed at gunpoint. The offender, who is a
different race, curses at the man and uses a racial slur as he is robbing him. For the next questions,
please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was robbed.

1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person in the scenario)?
i.
j.

Yes
GO TO 2
No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question

2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes

ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 5 – v1
Scenario: A non-Jewish person is standing on the sidewalk near a Jewish synagogue. A person comes up
with a gun and says 'Give me your money, you rich Jew. I know you've got lots of it." For the next
questions, please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was robbed.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
person who was robbed in the scenario)?
k. Yes
GO TO 2
l. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No

If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 6 – v1
Scenario: A man and woman meet online and go on a date. During the date, the man tells the woman
that he has been rejected in the past and doesn’t like most women. At the end of the date, the woman
tells the man that she is not interested in seeing him again. Over the next few days, she begins to feel like
he has been following her. One day she leaves her house and sees that her car is in the driveway with the
tires slashed and the word ‘Bitch’ carved into the paint. For the next questions, please imagine that you
are answering as if you are the woman.
1. A hate crime is a crime of prejudice or bigotry that occurs when an offender targets someone
because of one or more of their characteristics or religious beliefs, such as:
- Race
- Religion
- Ethnic background or national origin
- A disability
- Sex
- Sexual orientation or gender identity
This could happen even if the offender falsely thinks you have certain characteristics or religious
beliefs. Do you think that this was a hate crime targeted at you (imagining that you are the
woman in the scenario)?
m. Yes
GO TO 2
n. No
GO TO NEXT SCENARIO
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2. Do you think prejudice or bigotry towards any of the following was a reason you were targeted,
even if the offender falsely thought something about you?
a. Because of your race?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Because of your religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Because of your ethnic background or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Because of any disability you may have?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Because of your sex?
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

Because of your sexual orientation or gender identity - by this we mean gay, lesbian,
bisexual, straight, transgender, or gender non-conforming?
i. Yes
ii. No
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

3. Do you think this was a hate crime targeted at any of the people you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Did the offender(s) say something, write something, or leave something behind at the crime
scene that made you think it was a hate crime?
a. Yes
b. No
5. Did any of the following things happen?
a. The offender(s) used language that indicated you were targeted for a hate crime
because of your sex, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity, or
a disability
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
b. There was something at the scene, such as a swastika or a burning cross, that made you
think this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: P Probe on why respondent said yes
c. The police told you that this was a hate crime
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

d. From what you know, the offender(s) had committed similar hate crimes in the past
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. The incident happened around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group
i. Yes
ii. No

f.

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Other hate crimes had occurred in your local area or neighborhood
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Something else happened that would suggest it was a hate crime.
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Appendix 7c – V2- Victim Cognitive Testing Protocol
Hate Crime Questions – v2
On behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak
with me today. I greatly appreciate it.
Purpose: The purpose of this interview is to get your feedback on some survey questions about crimes
motivated by prejudice and bigotry. We want to understand what the questions mean to you, and you
will be helping us improve the questions and make them as clear as possible.
Procedure: I would like you to please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge and to
know that there are no right or wrong answers. After some of the survey questions I may stop and ask
you follow-up questions to better understand your answer and the way you thought about the question.
Most of my follow-up questions will ask what you thought about certain words or phrases or what you
think a question is trying to ask.
As we are going through the survey, please feel free to tell me anything that comes to mind or to ask me
anything you are unclear about. Feel free to tell me what you are thinking as you are answering these
questions. We want your honest opinions about what you like and dislike and what you do and don’t
understand so we can improve this survey. I also want to remind you that you do not have to answer
any questions you do not want to, and you can end the interview at any time. If I ask you a question you
do not want to answer, you can just say “Pass.”
Once you have answered all the survey questions, thinking about your own experiences, I will ask you to
read through each of the scenarios that I put on the screen and answer the questions while imagining
that you were the person in the scenario.
Do you have any questions before we begin?
For these questions, please think about any crimes you experienced in the past 3 years (that is, since XX,
XXXX). You answered questions about these experiences in the online survey that you recently
completed on the same topic.

1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Thinking about the crimes that happened to you in the past 3 years, do you think any of these
were done to you because the offender was targeting you due to prejudice or bigotry toward
those with your…

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes
1. Specify_________________________________
ii. No
Could you tell me in your own words what you think this question is asking about?
What does it mean to you when I ask if ‘the offender was targeting you because of
your characteristics or religious beliefs?’
Does it mean something different to you if I ask whether the offender was targeting
you because he/she had something against people with your characteristics or
religious beliefs?
When we say, ‘even if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs
that you don’t actually have’ what does that mean to you?
When I ask if someone did this because they had something against people of your
race, ethnic background, or national origin, what do you think that means? Do ‘ethnic
background’ and ‘national origin’ mean different things to you? Do you think those are
different from race in the context of this question?
What about sexual orientation and gender identity? What do those terms mean to
you in the context of this question? Do you think they refer to different things? Do you
think gender identity is different from ‘sex?’

Would it be clearer if we said, ‘do you think this was done to you because the offender
had something against people of your gender’ instead of ‘because of people of your
sex?’
What does it mean to you if I say that someone was targeted because of a disability?
Was there anything confusing or unclear about this question (I’ll read the question
again)?
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ (e.g. religion) was the only reason that
the offender did this?
Do you think that the offender hates or dislikes all people who
are/have____________________ (e.g. Muslim)?
Probe: So do you think that if you didn’t have that characteristic, the offender
might have done this to someone else instead?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If you didn’t have all of those characteristics, do you think the offender might have
done this to someone else instead?
2. Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: What made you think that was the reason for the crime?
IF No: Can you give me an example of what this might mean?
3. Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
What does it mean to you when I say, ‘during the incident or leading up to it?’

If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was left at the scene
What do you think this question is trying to get at?
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
Would you answer the question differently if I asked whether the police told you that
this was a hate crime?
If yes: What did the police find that suggested the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs? How did you learn about this?
Did the police tell you or did you find out in some other way?
If no: Was the crime known to police? Did you learn much about the investigation? Do
you know whether the police were ever looking into whether it was a hate crime?
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what the victim knows about the offender’s prior crimes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe the victim to describe the event, holiday, and/or location where the
incident occurred
If no: Can you think of examples of holidays, events, or places that we might be asking
about with this question?
f.

Were there were other crimes against people like you in your local area or
neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe the victim to describe the other hate crimes and why they suspect the
incident was related

What do you think we mean by ‘local area or neighborhood’?
g. Did something else happened that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
IF multiple biases were reported above, and multiple types of evidence, probe on which evidence
aligns with which type of bias.
4.

Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes (ask Q5)
ii. No (skip Q5)
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’
how strongly do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

What does the term ‘hate crime’ mean to you?
Do you think that a hate crime is different from other crimes in which the offender
might be very angry at the victim?
If I asked you if you believed the incident was a bias crime, would you answer the
same way?
What if I asked you if you believe the crime was motivated by prejudice or bigotry?
Would that mean something different to you? What would that mean to you? Would
that be more or less clear than saying hate crime or bias crime?
5. Did you tell the police that you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No

Okay, now I’m going show you a scenario on the screen and ask you to read it aloud. Then I’m going to
ask you a series of questions and I want you to answer as though you are the person in the scenario
(Interviewer: randomize and record order in which scenarios are asked; record all survey questions
responses, in addition to information gathered through probes ).

Scenario 1 – v2
Scenario: A woman in a wheelchair is in a crowded shopping mall. Someone runs up to her, snatches the
purse from her lap, and runs away. For the next questions, please imagine that you are answering as if
you are the woman.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
iii. Yes

1. Specify_________________________________

iv. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 2 – v2
Scenario: A straight male was standing at a bus stop when 4 teenagers of a different race approached
and requested money for the bus. When the man refused, one of the teenagers said ‘Don’t say no to me,
queer’ and punched him in the face. The teenagers then grabbed his watch, ring and wallet. For the next
questions, please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was punched and had his
things stolen.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
iii. Yes
iv. No

1. Specify_________________________________

If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
Would you have answered the question differently if I said ‘Do you think the offender
did this to you because they have something against people of your ‘actual or
perceived’ sexual orientation? What do the words ‘actual or perceived’ mean to you in
this context?
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4.

Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 3 – v2
Scenario: A group of friends are leaving a known gay bar. As they exit the bar and begin to walk away,
someone runs up, punches one of the friends in the back of the head and runs away. For the next
questions please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was punched.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
v. Yes

1. Specify_________________________________

vi. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
Would you have answered the question differently if I said Do you think the offender
did this to you because they have something against people of your ‘actual or
perceived’ sexual orientation? What do the words ‘actual or perceived’ mean to you in
this context?
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 4 – v2
Scenario: A man walking home from work late at night is robbed at gunpoint. The offender, who is a
different race, curses at the man and uses a racial slur as he is robbing him. For the next questions,
please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was robbed.

1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes
1. Specify_________________________________
ii. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes

ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 5 – v2
Scenario: A non-Jewish person is standing on the sidewalk near a Jewish synagogue. A person comes up
with a gun and says 'Give me your money, you rich Jew. I know you've got lots of it." For the next
questions, please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was robbed.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
iii. Yes

1. Specify_________________________________

iv. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question

2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 6 – v2
Scenario: A man and woman meet online and go on a date. During the date, the man tells the woman
that he has been rejected in the past and doesn’t like most women. At the end of the date, the woman
tells the man that she is not interested in seeing him again. Over the next few days, she begins to feel like
he has been following her. One day she leaves her house and sees that her car is in the driveway with the
tires slashed and the word ‘Bitch’ carved into the paint. For the next questions, please imagine that you
are answering as if you are the woman.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes Specify_________________________________
ii. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No

If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 7 – v2
Scenario: A Muslim family moves into a new neighborhood. One neighbor begins posting messages
online that he doesn’t want to have ‘terrorists’ living in the neighborhood. A week later the family’s
house is broken into. They don’t know who did it, but suspect it was the neighbor. For the next questions,
please imagine that you are answering as if you are part of the family whose house was broken into.

1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes Specify_________________________________
ii. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question

2. Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?
3. Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?

i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Appendix 7d – V2- Non-Victim Cognitive Testing Protocol
Hate Crime Questions – v2
On behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak
with me today. I greatly appreciate it.
Purpose: The purpose of this interview is to get your feedback on some survey questions about crimes
motivated by prejudice and bigotry. We want to understand what the questions mean to you, and you
will be helping us improve the questions and make them as clear as possible.
Procedure: I would like you to please answer these questions to the best of your knowledge and to
know that there are no right or wrong answers. After some of the survey questions, I may stop and ask
you follow-up questions to better understand your answer and the way you thought about the question.
Most of my follow-up questions will ask what you thought about certain words or phrases or what you
think a question is trying to ask.
I will ask you to read through each of the scenarios that I put on the screen and answer the questions as
though you were the person in the scenario. As we are going through the survey, please feel free to tell
me anything that comes to mind or to ask me anything you are unclear about. Feel free to tell me what
you are thinking as you are answering these questions. We want your honest opinions about what you
like and dislike and what you do and don’t understand so we can improve this survey. I also want to
remind you that you do not have to answer any questions you do not want to, and you can end the
interview at any time. If I ask you a question you do not want to answer, you can just say “Pass.”
Do you have any questions before we begin?
Okay, now I’m going show you a scenario on the screen and ask you to read it aloud. Then I’m going to
ask you a series of questions and I want you to answer as though you are the person in the scenario
(Interviewer: always start with scenario #7 for nonvictims; randomize and record order in which
scenarios are asked; record all survey questions responses, in addition to information gathered through
probes ).

Scenario 7 – v2
Scenario : A Muslim family moves into a new neighborhood. One neighbor begins posting messages
online that he doesn’t want to have ‘terrorists’ living in the neighborhood. A week later the family’s
house is broken into. They don’t know who did it, but suspect it was the neighbor. For the next questions,
please imagine that you are answering as a member of the family whose house was broken into.

1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.

Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes
1. Specify_________________________________
ii. No
Could you tell me in your own words what you think this question is asking about?
What does it mean to you when I ask if ‘the offender was targeting you because of
your characteristics or religious beliefs?’
Does it mean something different to you if I ask whether the offender was targeting
you because he/she had something against people with your characteristics or
religious beliefs?
When we say, ‘even if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs
that you don’t actually have’ what does that mean to you?

When I ask if someone did this because they had something against people of your
race, ethnic background, or national origin, what do you think that means? Do ‘ethnic
background’ and ‘national origin’ mean different things to you? Do you think those are
different from race in the context of this question?

What about sexual orientation and gender identity? What do those terms mean to
you in the context of this question? Do you think they refer to different things? Do you
think gender identity is different from ‘sex?’
Would it be clearer if we said, ‘do you think this was done to you because the offender
had something against people of your gender’ instead of ‘because of people of your
sex?’
What does it mean to you if I say that someone was targeted because of a disability?
Was there anything confusing or unclear about this question (I’ll read the question
again)?
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ (religion) was the only reason that the
offender did this?
Do you think that the offender hates or dislikes all people who
are/have____________________ (Muslim)?

If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?

2. Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: What made you think that was the reason for the crime?
IF No: Can you give me an example of what this might mean?
3. Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No

What does it mean to you when I say, ‘during the incident or leading up to it?’
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
If no: What made you say ‘no’ to this question?
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
What do you think this question is trying to get at?
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
Would you think about the question differently if I asked whether the police told you
that this was a hate crime?
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
Can you think of examples of holidays, events or places that we might be asking about
with this question?
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
What do you think we mean by ‘local area or neighborhood’

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?

i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’
how strongly do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

What does the term ‘hate crime’ mean to you?
Do you think that a hate crime is different from other crimes in which the offender
might be very angry at the victim?
If I asked you if you believed the incident was a bias crime, would you answer the
same way?
What if I asked you if you believe the crime was motivated by prejudice or bigotry?
Would that mean something different to you? What would that mean to you? Would
that be more or less clear than saying hate crime or bias crime?

Scenario 1 – v2
Scenario: A woman in a wheelchair is in a crowded shopping mall. Someone runs up to her, snatches the
purse from her lap, and runs away. For the next questions, please imagine that you are answering as if
you are the woman.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even if they thought
you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It is different from
the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or wanting to get something
from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes

1. Specify_________________________________

ii. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
iii. Yes
iv. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 2 – v2
Scenario: A straight male was standing at a bus stop when 4 teenagers of a different race approached
and requested money for the bus. When the man refused, one of the teenagers said ‘Don’t say no to me,
queer’ and punched him in the face. The teenagers then grabbed his watch, ring and wallet. For the next
questions, please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was punched and had his
things stolen.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
v. Yes
vi. No

1. Specify_________________________________

If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
Would you have answered the question differently if I said ‘Do you think the offender
did this to you because they have something against people of your ‘actual or
perceived’ sexual orientation? What do the words ‘actual or perceived’ mean to you in
this context?
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No

If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4.

Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 3 – v2
Scenario: A group of friends are leaving a known gay bar. As they exit the bar and begin to walk away,
someone runs up, punches one of the friends in the back of the head and runs away. For the next
questions please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was punched.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
vii. Yes

1. Specify_________________________________

viii. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
Would you have answered the question differently if I said Do you think the offender
did this to you because they have something against people of your ‘actual or
perceived’ sexual orientation? What do the words ‘actual or perceived’ mean to you in
this context?
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes

ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 4 – v2
Scenario: A man walking home from work late at night is robbed at gunpoint. The offender, who is a
different race, curses at the man and uses a racial slur as he is robbing him. For the next questions,
please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was robbed.

1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes
ii. No

1. Specify_________________________________

If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3.

Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 5 – v2
Scenario: A non-Jewish person is standing on the sidewalk near a Jewish synagogue. A person comes up
with a gun and says 'Give me your money, you rich Jew. I know you've got lots of it." For the next
questions, please imagine that you are answering as if you are the person who was robbed.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
iii. Yes

1. Specify_________________________________

iv. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question

2.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?

3. Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes

g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes Specify: _____________
ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Scenario 6 – v2
Scenario: A man and woman meet online and go on a date. During the date, the man tells the woman
that he has been rejected in the past and doesn’t like most women. At the end of the date, the woman
tells the man that she is not interested in seeing him again. Over the next few days, she begins to feel like
he has been following her. One day she leaves her house and sees that her car is in the driveway with the
tires slashed and the word ‘Bitch’ carved into the paint. For the next questions, please imagine that you
are answering as if you are the woman.
1. This next set of questions focuses on whether the offender may have been targeting you
because of prejudice or bigotry toward those with your characteristics or religious beliefs, even
if they thought you had certain characteristics or religious beliefs that you don’t actually have. It
is different from the offender committing the act for other reasons, such as being angry or
wanting to get something from you.
Do you think any of these were done to you because the offender was targeting you because of
prejudice or bigotry toward those with your…
a. Race, ethnic background, or national origin?
i. Yes
ii. No
b. Religion?
i. Yes
ii. No
c. Disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
d. Sexual orientation (including being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or straight) or gender identity
(including being intersex, transgender, or gender non-conforming)?
i. Yes
ii. No
e. Sex (i.e., against males or females)?
i. Yes
ii. No
f. Other characteristics, how you look or a group you are a part of?
i. Yes Specify_________________________________
ii. No
If YES: Okay, can you describe for me what makes you say ‘yes’ to this question’
If YES to 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?
Do you think that ______________________ was the only reason that the offender did
this to the person?
If YES to MORE THAN 1: Why did you say ‘yes’ to _______________________?

(NOTE TO INTERVIEWER: The goal is to understand why the respondent selected more
than one type of bias)
Do you think one of those was more of a reason that the other/others?
If No: Okay, can you tell me why you said ‘no’ to this question
2.

3.

Do you think the offender did this because of the characteristics or religious beliefs of people
you spend time with?
a. Yes
b. No
If Yes: Why made you think that was the reason for the crime?
Did any of the following things happen?
a. During the incident or leading up to it, did the offender(s) use language that indicated
you were targeted because of your sex, religion, race, ethnicity, or national origin,
sexual orientation or gender identity, or a disability?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on what was said and when it was said (during or prior to the incident)
b. Did the offender leave something at the scene referring to your characteristics or
religion, such as graffiti with hurtful words, symbols or images, or a burning cross?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
c. Did the police find that the offender had something against people with your
characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes
ii. No
If Yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
d. Did you know or learn that the offender(s) had committed similar crimes against people
like you in the past?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
e. Did the incident happen around a holiday, event, or place commonly associated with a
specific group?
i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
f.

Were there other crimes against people like you in your local area or neighborhood?

i. Yes
ii. No
If yes: Probe on why respondent said yes
g. Did something else happen that would suggest the offender had something against
people with your characteristics or religious beliefs?
i. Yes

Specify: _____________

ii. No
4. Do you believe the incident was a hate crime?
i. Yes
ii. No
Probe: Why or why not?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being ‘not very strongly’ and 10 being ‘extremely strongly,’ how strongly
do you believe that this [was/was not] a hate crime? (circle one)
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10