Bias-Related Incident

A "bias-related incident" is any incident in which an action taken by a person or group is perceived to be malicious or discriminatory toward another person or group based on bias or prejudice relating to such characteristics as race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity or any situation in which inter-group tensions exist based on such group characteristics.Bias-Related Incidents may be violations of criminal law, such as "Hate Crimes," or violations of civil law, such as unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, education or public accommodations.

Many Bias-Related Incidents are not violations of any law, yet they can create dangerous levels of tension between individuals and groups - tension that can escalate into violence and civil unrest. This is true of the activities of Organized Hate Groups, and other public expressions of bias or hatred. Ethnic or racial jokes or name-calling in a school, workplace or community are Bias-Related Incidents that, if not addressed, create a climate in which people do not feel valued and respected and in which severe forms of inter-group tension can develop.

If you are aware of a Bias-Related Incident in Pennsylvania, you can report it now to the Pennsylvania Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension.