Nobody should have to live with the fear and anxiety that hate crime can cause.
'Hate crimes’ and 'hate incidents’ are terms used to describe acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. They are usually motivated by hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, transgender identity, or sexual orientation.
Abuse, name-calling, assault, blackmail, harassment, intimidation, bullying or exploitation are all forms of hate crime. This includes abusive comments that are made by phone, text or through social media. Hate crimes and hate incidents can have a lasting effect on a person.
Some examples of hate incidents include:
- verbal abuse like name-calling and offensive jokes
- harassment
- bullying or intimidation by children, adults, neighbours or strangers
- physical attacks such as hitting, punching, pushing, spitting
- threats of violence
- hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages, hate mail
- online abuse, for example on Facebook or Twitter
- displaying or circulating discriminatory literature or posters
- harm or damage to things such as your home, pet, or vehicle
- graffiti
- arson
- throwing rubbish into someone else’s garden
- malicious complaints, for example over parking, smells or noise
When hate incidents become criminal offences they are known as hate crimes. A criminal offence is something that breaks the law. Some examples of hate crimes include:
- assault
- criminal damage
- harassment
- sexual assault
- theft
- fraud
- burglary
- hate mail
All police forces would want you to report hate crimes and they take all reports of hate crime very seriously.
Racist and religious hate crime is particularly hurtful to victims as they are being targeted solely because of their personal identity - their actual or perceived racial or ethnic origin, belief or faith. These crimes can happen randomly or be part of a campaign of continued harassment and victimisation. More information on race and religious hate crime is available from Citizens Advice Scotland or Citizens Advice for England and Wales.
Sexual Orientation and Transgender Identity Hate Crime. In the past, incidents against lesbian, gay, bisexual people or transgender people have been rarely reported and even more rarely prosecuted. Research studies suggest that victims of, or witnesses to, such incidents have very little confidence in the criminal justice system. More information on sexual orientation and transgender identity hate crime is available from Citizens Advice Scotland or Citizens Advice for England and Wales.
Disability Hate Crime. Feeling and being unsafe through violence, harassment or negative stereotyping has a significant impact on disabled people's sense of security and wellbeing. It also impacts significantly their ability to participate both socially and economically in their communities. More information on disability hate crime is available from Citizens Advice Scotland or Citizens Advice for England and Wales.
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 crime; you can report non-crime hate incidents to the police to try and prevent any escalation in seriousness.
- Internet Hate Crime. True Vision also provides further information on internet hate crime.
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