Nobody should have to live with the fear and anxiety that hate crime can cause.
'Hate incidents' and 'hate crimes' are terms used to describe acts of hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. The acts are motivated by or have demonstrated hostility or prejudice based on an individual’s characteristics including disability, race, religion, trans identity or sexual orientation.
If the act is a criminal offence, then it could be a Hate Crime.
Whether an act is a hate incident depends on the motivation of the person who commits the act, regardless of the victim’s actual identity. Someone can also be a victim of a hate incident because they are associated with the target.
Hate incidents
Hate incidents can be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity, perceived or otherwise. Incidents can include:
· verbal abuse
· harassment
· bullying or intimidation
· physical attacks such as pushing or spitting
· threats of violence
· hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages, hate mail
· online abuse
· displaying or circulating discriminatory literature or posters
· harm or damage to things such as your home, pet, or vehicle
· graffiti
This is not a full list. Just because something isn’t included here doesn’t mean it isn’t a hate incident.
Find out more:
True Vision offers guidance on reporting hate crimes and hate incidents.
If you do not wish to talk to anyone in person about the incident or wish to remain anonymous there is an online form for reporting hate crimes; you can report non-crime incidents to the police to try and prevent any escalation in seriousness. ·
True Vision also provides further information on internet hate crimes. ·
OPCC (Office for Police and Crime Commissioner)'s guide for victims and witnesses of Hate Crime.