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 violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. They are motivated by hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and/or transgender identity. This can be an incident against a person or against property, and includes materials posted online.
Hate incidents are based on your own understanding of the experience. If you believe that what you experienced was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on actual or perceived disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and/or transgender identity, it should be recorded as such.
When hate incidents become criminal offences they are known as hate crimes. A criminal offence is something that breaks the law. The police and the Crown Prosecution Service take all hate crime very seriously.
It doesn’t always include physical violence. Someone using offensive language towards you or harassing you because of who you are, or who they think you are, is also a hate incident/crime. The same goes for someone posting abusive or offensive messages about you online.
The person does not have to be a member of the group at which the hostility is targeted.
Hate incidents/crimes hurt individuals and communities and reporting them allows the University and the police to better understand and deal with what is happening.
Not all hate incidents will amount to criminal offences, but it is equally important that these are reported.
It is not your responsibility to know whether something constitutes a hate incident or a hate crime. If in doubt, report the incident to the College or the police, and they will be able to advise on that. At the very least, your experience will be recorded as a hate incident.
We are committed to inclusivity and we take a firm approach to dealing with actions that have a negative impact on the safety and wellbeing of our community.
Hate incidents and crimes include bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct which are contrary to the Equality Act 2010 and the Student Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Student Disciplinary Procedure.
Find out more about Bullying and Harassment and Sexual Misconduct.
Some examples of hate incidents include:
Some examples of hate crimes include:
Racist and religious incident/crime targets people because of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity or nationality; as well as their religion, belief, faith, or lack of. These incidents/crimes can happen randomly or be part of a campaign of continued harassment and victimisation.
This includes incidents motivated by prejudice and hostility based on someone’s actual or perceived sexual orientation and/or transgender identity. This has been shown to have significant impact on an individual’s wellbeing, daily life and personal safety, especially if they identify as LGBTQ+. These incidents/crimes can happen randomly or be part of a targeted campaign of continued harassment and abuse.
Feeling and being unsafe through violence, harassment or negative stereotyping has a significant impact on disabled people’s sense of security and wellbeing, and their ability to actively participate in their communities. Not all disabilities are visible, but people can experience hate incidents/crimes based on disability nonetheless.
Citizens Advice offers guidance on recognising hate incidents/crimes and advice on how to report.
True Vision offers guidance on reporting hate crime 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 CrimeTrue Vision also provide further information on internet hate crime.
If you think you or someone you know has experienced a hate incident/crime, there is a variety of support options available to both students and staff.
SafeSpace Zone – Students and staff can disclose how they have been affected by hate incident/crime using the College’s SafeSpace Zone. You can choose to do this anonymously or you can request support from an advisor. If you choose to talk to an advisor, they will be able to talk through the reporting options and support available to you, in confidence.
Victim Support provides free, confidential services for anyone in England and Wales who has been affected by crime, regardless of whether the crime has been reported or how long ago it happened.
Stop Hate UK is a national organisation working to challenge all forms of hate crime and discrimination, based on any aspect of an individual’s identity. Stop Hate UK provides independent, confidential, and accessible reporting and support for victims, witnesses and third parties.
True Vision allows you to report hate crime online rather than visiting a police station. They advise the police record and investigate an offence even if you do not want to give your details. However, they note that if the police cannot contact you, the ability to prosecute offenders is limited and it will be tougher to get you the support you may need.
Citizens Advice provides some useful information on the different types of harassment and hate crime people may experience including disability hate crime, racist and religious hate crime, sexual harassment and sexual orientation and transgender identity hate crime.
LGBT Foundation has a number of groups covering a wide section of the LGBT community. They provide a safe and comfortable environment for people who may feel isolated, are coming out, or are new to the area.
Disability Equality runs the Developing from the Negatives Project (DFN) which aims to raise awareness of Disability Hate Crime and encourage reporting.
Tell MAMA supports victims of anti-Muslim hate and is a public service which also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents.
Community Security Trust (CST) helps those who are victims of anti-Semitic hatred, harassment or bias
A hate incident is any incident which the victim, or anyone else, thinks is based on someone’s prejudice towards them because of their disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and/or because they are transgender. When hate incidents become criminal offences they are known as hate crimes.
What is hate incident/crime? It might be useful to think about what is meant by hate incident/crime and how these behaviours are described.
If you think someone you know has experienced a hate incident/crime, there are lots of ways in which you can help them.
Most people will usually describe what has or is happening to them and how it’s making them feel. However, they may not be able to clearly define their experience. Understanding the behaviours associated with hate incidents/crimes is a good place to start if you want to support them. Find out more here: What is hate incident/crime?
