Throughout April and May, we’ll be sharing resources and information on hate
crimes - what a hate crime is, how to report them and the support available to
victims of hate crime. Hate crime can and does effect anyone, however for this
campaign we will be focusing on some specific types and the groups effected by
them.
What is a hate crime
A hate crime is any criminal offence that is motivated by hostility and prejudice
towards a person’s identity or perceived identity. The following are the five nationally
monitored strands:
Disability
Race
Religion/Faith
Sexual Orientation
Transgender Identity
Anyone can be affected by hate crime. You don’t have to be a member of the group
to which the hostility is targeted at. You don’t have to be gay to have had
homophobic abuse shouted at you. You may not be part of a religion and still have
someone target you because they think you are.
Continuing on from last month’s focus on racist and disability-based hate crimes, in
May we will be sharing information and resources on supporting victims of
homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, and gender-based hate crimes.
Hate crimes can have a devastating impact on the victim and their loved ones. Some
hate crimes start as minor incidents, which can escalate into more serious and
frequent offences. Where victims suffer a series of such incidents, the cumulative
effect can destroy their lives through emotional damage and long-term trauma.
People are made to feel like they don’t belong and will often change their lifestyles or
question their identities to try and avoid further incidents.
All hate crimes can be reported to the police - you can call the police on 999 if you or
someone else are in immediate danger, or you can call 101 in a non-emergency. You
can also anonymously report a hate crime to CrimeStoppers, visit a local police
station, or report via Stop Hate UK