Understandably, victims and their families may judge some disciplinary measures to be inappropriate or lenient. This is less likely to happen, though, if the schools have already addressed hate-motivated incidents in discipline policies, and if they enforce the consequences fairly across the board. If some offenders seem to be treated more leniently than others, the school community will have little sense of justice and closure.

Some of the following suggestions for providing appropriate consequences, such as the suggestion for community service, require a fair amount of organizational time. Parent and community volunteers might be interested in helping.

• Involve the family of the offender. When serious incidents occur or less serious incidents are repeated, inform parents or guardians of offenders and invite them to come to talk with their child and administrators, counselors and teachers about the incident, why it was unacceptable and what will be done about it. Violent offenses require severe, non-negotiable consequences, including removal from campus. Inform parents and student offenders of community counseling services that might be helpful. For example, women's shelters sometimes provide counseling for batterers.

• Involve a teacher whom the offender respects. Invite the teacher to parent conferences about the problem. He or she may be able to get through to the offender when others cannot.

• Incorporate affirmative measures into "punishment." For nonviolent offenders, consider combining a temporary loss of privileges (e.g., in-school suspension, no extracurriculars, lunch in detention) with a requirement for community service. If possible, arrange the offender's service requirement with respected community leaders from the group targeted in the incident.

• Strive to change biased attitudes. Use community resources, both individuals and organizations, to educate offenders about the groups targeted for hate. For example, a rabbi might be willing to guide offenders through a local Holocaust museum or temple; an African American minister or businessperson might agree to accompany the offender to a Black History exhibit.

• Seek student input. Ask a class or student organization to suggest consequences for hate incidents. The discussion may raise consciousness and yield creative ideas.