Nationalist frames erode opposition to violent hate crimes

Abstract

Public opinion of hate crimes may be malleable because these acts are understood through victims' varying social identities. We investigate whether violent attacks provoke different reactions when framed around victims' national rather than religious identities. We first document media coverage of hate crimes, showing that more than 20% of headlines about anti-Jewish hate crimes use nationalist frames, invoking Israel. We then analyze discourse surrounding a high-profile anti-Jewish attack and demonstrate the prominence of nationalist framing. In two survey experiments with U.S. adults, we show widespread aversion to religiously motivated violence, but greater ambivalence toward attacks motivated by nationalism. Specifically, opposition to physically violent attacks against Jews weakens when framed through the victim's support for Israel rather than their religious identification. Similarly, opposition to attacks on Muslims and Hindus declines when linked to Palestinian and Indian nationalism, respectively. While Americans display near-universal opposition to religious bigotry, nationalist frames erode public condemnation of identity-based violence.