If there's one alarming trend that's on the rise, it's hate crimes. Indeed, the stats speak for themselves. In the United States, in 2014 hate crimes were at their lowest rate since national FBI recording began back in 1992. But since then, that rate has steadily increased.

In 2016, hate crimes were up 11.7 per cent compared to 2014, and in 2017, data shows that hate crimes rose a shocking 12 per cent more than in 2016 levels. The FBI recorded  1,038 hate crimes in the 10 largest cities in the US. This means that law enforcement have recorded the most amount of hate crimes in more than a decade.

However, the universal prevalence of smartphones and social media means that it's easier than ever for people affected by racial abuse, bigotry and prejudice to record evidence of it, and then disseminate it on social media. Lately, a number of American minorities have taken to filming people guilty of racial profiling, who have called the cops on them even though they were wholly innocent of any crime. This week a video has emerged of a bigoted woman screaming abuse at a mixed-race family, which has since gone viral on social media.

According to police reports, 31-year-old Lauren Milewski confronted Essex Cook and his friends and family while they were taking a stroll through the city of Berkley, California, during Memorial Day weekend. Cook filmed Mileski's harassment, and in the disturbing footage she can be heard stating; "You don't belong here. Get out of Berkeley. Get out of here. You don't belong anywhere."

Milewski then physically attacked them, and grabbed 24-year-old Elexia's braids and her tore her dress when she attempted to defend her cousin Essex. The pair came of blows in the bushes nearby, where the woman hit her. Despite the group's attempts to de-escalate the situation, Milewski then ran up to a new mother and tore off her shirt and bra. The young mom's chest was left scratched and cut. The police were called and the quickly responded. They managed to restrain Mileski and put her in handcuffs, while she squirmed in an attempt to resist her arrest.

Officers on the scene allegedly recognised Mileski, who apparently has a prior history of inciting violence and committing racially-motivated attacks on innocent African-Americans. The Cook family has not pressed charges, but Milewski has since been arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, and also for violating her probation after a 2017 grand theft charge, when she spent several months in jail before being released on probation for five years.

Commenting on the alarming incident, Elexia mentioned that many bystanders chose to ignore her family and their plight, stating: "We were so loud and people were walking by not even making a noise, trying not to look at us, acting like they didn’t even notice. It just made me feel very uncomfortable."

If you or anyone else you know has been a victim of a hate crime, please don't hesitate to visit Victim Support for help and further advice.

If there's one alarming trend that's on the rise, it's hate crimes. Indeed, the stats speak for themselves. In the United States, in 2014 hate crimes were at their lowest rate since national FBI recording began back in 1992. But since then, that rate has steadily increased.

In 2016, hate crimes were up 11.7 per cent compared to 2014, and in 2017, data shows that hate crimes rose a shocking 12 per cent more than in 2016 levels. The FBI recorded  1,038 hate crimes in the 10 largest cities in the US. This means that law enforcement have recorded the most amount of hate crimes in more than a decade.

However, the universal prevalence of smartphones and social media means that it's easier than ever for people affected by racial abuse, bigotry and prejudice to record evidence of it, and then disseminate it on social media. Lately, a number of American minorities have taken to filming people guilty of racial profiling, who have called the cops on them even though they were wholly innocent of any crime. This week a video has emerged of a bigoted woman screaming abuse at a mixed-race family, which has since gone viral on social media.

According to police reports, 31-year-old Lauren Milewski confronted Essex Cook and his friends and family while they were taking a stroll through the city of Berkley, California, during Memorial Day weekend. Cook filmed Mileski's harassment, and in the disturbing footage she can be heard stating; "You don't belong here. Get out of Berkeley. Get out of here. You don't belong anywhere."

Milewski then physically attacked them, and grabbed 24-year-old Elexia's braids and her tore her dress when she attempted to defend her cousin Essex. The pair came of blows in the bushes nearby, where the woman hit her. Despite the group's attempts to de-escalate the situation, Milewski then ran up to a new mother and tore off her shirt and bra. The young mom's chest was left scratched and cut. The police were called and the quickly responded. They managed to restrain Mileski and put her in handcuffs, while she squirmed in an attempt to resist her arrest.

Officers on the scene allegedly recognised Mileski, who apparently has a prior history of inciting violence and committing racially-motivated attacks on innocent African-Americans. The Cook family has not pressed charges, but Milewski has since been arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, and also for violating her probation after a 2017 grand theft charge, when she spent several months in jail before being released on probation for five years.

Commenting on the alarming incident, Elexia mentioned that many bystanders chose to ignore her family and their plight, stating: "We were so loud and people were walking by not even making a noise, trying not to look at us, acting like they didn’t even notice. It just made me feel very uncomfortable."

If you or anyone else you know has been a victim of a hate crime, please don't hesitate to visit Victim Support for help and further advice.