Hate Crime Awareness

Hate Crime is an identity based crime. It attacks personal characteristics that are integral to the victim, it can be defined as,

 “Any criminal event or incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards someone based on a personal characteristic,” (Victim Support)

Victim Support.  PAVO signed up as early adopters of the Hate Crime Charter pledging to help raise awareness and support victims.  

Hate Crime Awareness Charter

Race

According to Victim Support race related hate crimes are some of the most commonly reported crimes to the police. Hate crime that is racially driven targets someone because of their skin colour, ethnicity, language and culture. There’s been a recent increase in racially motivated Hate Crime in Wales with attacks on refugee camps in Penally in September last year. 

Religion and Faith

Religious Hate Crime is crime that is based on belief, attacking someone for their faith in and worship of a God / Gods or for their lack of belief. Attacks can be on a place, person or group of people, with the attack having an impact on core belief systems. Statistically attacks on people of Muslim and Jewish faiths are most common and incidences reported by the media can influence trends or spikes such as the attacks on a Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019. 

Sexual Orientation

Sexually orientated Hate Crime attacks someone for their sexual preferences, it can manifest in the form of heterosexism, biphobia or homophobia depending on whether someone is heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian.

Sexual Orientation Hate Crime

Transgender

Transgender related Hate Crime is connected to the gender that someone identifies with. Gender dysphoria is the term used to describe the sense of unease experienced by an individual where their gender identity at birth differs from the gender that they identify with. In some instances individuals choose to be gender fluid or gender neutral. Some choose to transition from their given gender to their chosen gender this transition can be social, legal or medical. Any attack on someone because of their gender is known as a transphobic attack. According to Victim Support, Transgender Hate Crime is the least common crime reported to the police, yet these crimes are also showing an increase. 

Disability

Hate Crime related to Disability can take many forms, it can attack hidden disabilities such as sensory loss, mental health or learning disabilities, as well as visible disabilities such as physical impairments. It can take the form of bullying but can also be insidious disguised as friendship, known as 'Mate Crime,' or 'Cuckooing,' where the victim is manipulated or coerced and then taken advantage of. According to Victim Support the number of disability related  Hate Crimes continues to rise each year. 

✯In 2019, Ability Today worked with leading disability charity Leonard Cheshire to survey 250 disabled people and discovered that; 

▪ 37% of their respondents had experienced hate crime. 

▪ The majority of hate crime was experienced through social media.

 In a survey commissioned by the charity Changing Faces in January 2020; 

▪ Over a quarter (28%) of people with a visible difference have experienced a Hate Crime 

▪Almost half of those who had experienced negative behaviours said they had lost confidence, over a third say they now feel anxious when they go out.

impact of hate crime

Impact of Hate Crime

Hate Crime is identity based crime, attacking what makes someone an individual. An attack on something that is a feature of core identity can leave someone feeling vulnerable and can take longer to recover from. 

Hate Crime can lead to behavioural changes such as 

• An increase in substance misuse.
• Deterioration in personal relationships.
• A withdrawal from usual activities with tendencies towards detachment, avoidance and isolation.
• A change in usual routines.
• A need or desire to conceal identities.
• Moving home, changing location and removal from the situation.

Sometimes the emotional impact of Hate Crime can  be harder to detect and can manifest as

• Uncontrollable crying that is concealed from others.
• Feelings of shame, fear or guilt, including fear for family and friends.
• Agitation, restlessness with feelings of frustration.
• Nightmares and disrupted sleep.

In some cases Hate Crime can have a financial impact on someone's life for example

• Costs related to repairing or replacing property or removing graffiti.
• Loss of work or earnings.
• Paying for additional security. 

reporting hate crime

Barriers to Reporting Hate Crime 

Lack of Trust in Police and Criminal Justice Agencies- Minority groups may feel a distrust in authorities such as the Police and wider criminal justice agencies. This can cause feelings of frustration and hopelessness when it comes to reporting hate crimes.

Language Barriers- Some victims may not speak English or have English as a second language and may not be aware of the translation service available to them. 

Cultural Barriers- Differences between traditions or different cultural practice can lead to hate crime not being reported. There may also be a fear that reporting an incident may just be being a nuisance. 

Lack of Information - A lack of knowledge or awareness of how to report an incident or lack of awareness of support available. 

Normalising Incidents - Attacks can become accepted, or put up with as part of a way of life and not seen as a crime.  

Fear - where the victim is scared about the repercussions in  reporting a crime or a fear of loss of independence or change in circumstances due to reporting a crime.

How to Report Hate Crime

There are several ways to report a Hate Crime and to access support.

The police are able to support with Hate Crime incidents in an emergency by calling 999 and in a non emergency by calling 101.

Victim Support can provide an advocacy and support service for anyone requiring support with reporting a crime and can contact the police on behalf of the victim. 

Victim Support understand that some people may not wish to involve the police. They offer a support service for victims of Hate Crime and accept self referrals. 

They can be contacted in the following ways

• By calling  0300 30 31 982 
• Visiting  their website at https://www.reporthate.victimsupport.org.uk/ 
• Twitter @VictimSupportHC 
• Facebook: VictimSupportHC 
• Instagram: vswaleshatecrime 
• If you wish to make a self-referral email: hate.crimewales(at)victimsupport.org.uk 

Say no to Hate Crime

🟍Source Victim Support Disability Hate Crime FactSheet.