What Is Hate Crime?

The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) define hate crime as any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim, or anyone else, as being motivated by “hostility or prejudice” based on one or more of the following personal characteristics:

• Race or ethnicity
• Religion or beliefs
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Transgender identity

Hate incidents and hate crimes can take many forms including:

• Physical attacks – including physical assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti, neighbour disputes and arson
• Threat of attack – including offensive letters, abusive or obscene phone calls, intimidation, and unfounded, malicious complaints
• Verbal abuse or insults – including offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes and bullying at school or in the workplace.
• Threats, harassment, and bullying
• Online abuse

There is no place for hate crime, it can have a significant impact on victims as it targets a fundamental part of their identity. We know from research that victims of hate crime are more likely to suffer repeat victimisation and serious psychological impact. Hate crime is also a damaging social problem that harms entire families and communities, as well as individual victims. Failure to recognise and effectively target hate crime and hate incidents can lead to victimisation of individuals and vulnerable groups, as well as the destabilisation of entire communities.

If you think you have been a victim of a hate crime or incident contact the police, victim support, your GP, a parent, safeguarding lead, tutor, teacher, counsellor, support worker, friend or colleague. It is important to report all Hate Crime.

Change takes courage.

By Carmen Coke-Alphonse – Mind HFEH Safeguarding Lead

Posted on: 17th July 2020