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It is widely acknowledged by criminal justice agencies across the country that hate crime is underreported by victims – often because they are unaware that they have experienced a hate crime, or because they are unaware of their rights and the support available to them.
The Commissioner’s team have put together a host of information in the drop down menu below, but you can find the same information in this digital booklet or download a printable copy of the hate crime guide here.
An easy read version produced by the CPS is available here.
For a summary of the different types of hate crime as well as further reporting options and websites for advice and information, see our hate crime info card.
A hate crime is “any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim, or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s actual or perceived race, religion/faith, sexual orientation, disability, or transgender identity”.
A hate crime can manifest itself as:
In England and Wales the police also monitor hate incidents. A hate incident is recorded when someone is discriminated against because of any of the above listed characteristics, but a criminal offence has not been committed.
Hate incidents could include: Not allowing someone to enter a club because of their ethnicity, laughing at homophobic jokes, or refusing to let someone with a disability sit next to you. Just because a crime has not been committed does not mean the behaviour is acceptable, and the police still record and investigate hate incidents. In many cases hate incidents can turn into hate crime. For example, bullying can become the criminal offence of harassment.
This is any incident that is perceived to be based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the victim because of their actual or perceived race. Racism is the word used to describe a complex series of attitudes, actions and words, which discriminate against people on the basis of their skin colour, country of origin, or nationality. This discrimination can be conscious or subconscious, intentional or unintentional, but is undoubtedly present in many different areas of social interaction.
Antisemitism is hostility to, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is generally considered to be a form of racism.
The Traveller community faces harassment and discrimination on a daily basis as a result of negative stereotypes and deeply ingrained cultural prejudices. The Race Relations Act recognises Gypsies, Travellers and Roma as specific racial groups, i.e. Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers, and those other Gypsies and Travellers who are ethnic or national in origin and could come within the definition of a racial group.
This is any incident that is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.
This is any incident that is perceived to be based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the victim because of their actual or perceived disability. Disability hate crime includes any person with a mental health condition or learning disability.
This is any incident that is perceived to be based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the victim because of actual or perceived religion or belief. It is illegal to say anything or produce something to commit a criminal offence against another race or group of people. This means that leaflets, flyers or speeches that promote crime against people because of their religion is against the law. This is called incitement to religious hatred.
This is any incident that is perceived to be based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the victim because they are, or are perceived to be, transgender or gender non-binary. Transgender is a term used to describe people whose gender identity or gender expression differs from that usually associated with their birth sex. The Equality Act 2010 provides extra protection for transgender people who are treated unequally, both in the workplace and whenever you access goods, services, housing and facilities.
Many hate crimes are now taking place online, and in addition to reporting it to the police or a Third Party Reporting Centre there are some simple steps you can take to ensure this behaviour stops. Many platforms now have guidelines and processes in place that allow you to report online abuse directly to them.
Hate crimes and incidents are fuelled by a number of factors which cannot be considered in isolation. A perpetrator’s lack of exposure to diverse populations and lack of education and understanding about individuals with differing personal characteristics is a key factor in hate crimes.
Changes in the local population demographic due to increased economic migration, asylum seekers and refugees can lead to feelings of resentment due to growing demand and pressure on public services and competition for employment. Political change, national and international events such as the EU referendum 2016, attacks on specific diverse groups and terror attacks can all lead to increased hate crime as those who harbour ill feeling towards anyone they perceive to be different are encouraged to either voice their opinions or, at worst, commit physical attacks against them. Very often hate crimes are not reported to the police, meaning victims don’t receive the support they need and offenders are able to continue with their behaviour.
Hate-based crime and incidents are underpinned by underlying negative attitudes, prejudices and stereotypes, which exist within individuals and society. These attitudes have to be addressed, challenged and tackled to prevent escalation of behaviours into serious crimes.
Hate crime is rarely a one-off incident. There is usually a very small chance that a person is a repeat victim of a crime; however, victims of hate crime are more likely to suffer repeated, constant and daily abuse from the same perpetrator(s).
The effect of hate crime can have a devastating psychological effect on the victim. Hate crime often consists of a series of crimes. The cumulative effect of such incidents and crimes can destroy lives through emotional damage and long-term trauma. For victims of hate crime, the risk of attack may be constant. Feelings of insecurity can result in anxiety and a continuous state of watchfulness and an inability to sleep. The impact on a person can include:
If victims of hate crime do not report what they have encountered, government agencies and policy makers will not know the extent of the problem and won’t be able to take important steps through legislation to eliminate it. Hate crime is committed by people who do not care who suffers and to what extent. If they go unchallenged, they will continue to put others in danger. Report it so they can be caught before others suffer.
There are a wide range of both civil and criminal powers. Some refer directly to incidents of hate crime or harassment, while others can be used to deal with nuisance or harassment where prejudice cannot be shown.
There are three criminal law regimes:
THE EQUALITY ACT 2010 – This provides a new legislative framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all. The Act simplifies and brings together existing discrimination law including the Race Relations Act 1976, the Equality Act 2006 (Part 2) and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND IMMIGRATION ACT 2008 – This amends the Public Order Act 1986 to include incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.
RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS HATRED ACT 2006 – This act makes provision about offences involving stirring up hatred on racial or religious grounds, and created new offences of stirring up hatred against persons on religious grounds. Under this Act, an offence is committed if a person uses words, behaviour, written material, recordings or programmes, which are threatening and intended to stir up religious hatred.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT 2003 – Section 146 places a duty on courts to increase the sentence for any offence aggravated by the demonstration or motivation of hostility based upon a victim’s disability (or presumed disability), sexual orientation (or presumed sexual orientation) or gender identity (or presumed gender identity).
CRIME AND DISORDER ACT 1998 – As amended by the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. This created a number of specific offences of racially or religiously aggravated crime, which have greater maximum sentences than their non-racially aggravated equivalents.
THE PROTECTION FROM HARASSMENT ACT 1997 – This encompasses racially-motivated harassment, which causes someone to fear that violence will be used against them. The court also has the power to grant injunctions or restraining orders to prevent further harassment taking place.
FOOTBALL OFFENCES ACT 1991 – An offence is committed when a group of people, or one person acting alone, chants something of a racist nature at a designated football match. The chanting has to be threatening, abusive or insulting to another person because of that person’s colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origin. hate crime and the law
PUBLIC ORDER ACT 1986 PART III INCITEMENT TO RACIAL HATRED – Under this Act, it is an offence to commit an act that is threatening, abusive or insulting, and which is intended – or likely in all the circumstances – to stir up racial hatred.
PUBLIC ORDER ACT 1986 – The police and the Crown Prosecution Service can take offenders to court if they are satisfied that there has been an offence against the person or an offence under the Public Order Act 1986 (e.g. using threatening abusive or insulting words or behaviour), or any offence of intimidation or stalking.
CRIMINAL DAMAGE ACT 1971 – Offences under this Act can arise from racial harassment, e.g. damage to windows and doors, graffiti, etc.
The police take incidents motivated by hatred very seriously. Officers and staff are trained to deal with hate crime sensitively and professionally. But even if you don’t want the police to investigate the incident, it is important that you report it either anonymously to the police or to a third party. Only if the police and their partners know the true picture of hate crime can they put the right resources in place where they are needed most.
Not every victim wants us to take their case – evidence allowing – to court, and you don’t have to. Community Resolution or Restorative Justice offers victims the opportunity to propose outcomes that the perpetrator will be asked to comply with for the matter to be resolved out of court.
How to report to the police
When reporting an incident to the police, ensure you:
If you report a hate crime or incident to the police, this will initially be recorded as a hate crime or incident. The police will then investigate whether a criminal offence has taken place, and whether there is enough evidence to make an arrest and pursue a case through the Crown Prosecution Service. This may involve taking statements, collecting CCTV or gathering other evidence.
Officers will try to work with you to find the most suitable outcome for your case. If relevant, the case will then go to the Crown Prosecution Service who will decide whether the case should go to court.
What you should expect from the police:
It is widely accepted that hate crimes are under-reported across all strands. Not all victims are comfortable with reporting their experiences directly to the police. The reasons for this may include the following:
Third Party Reporting Centres (TPRCs) overcome these barriers by providing an alternative to directly reporting to the police, without which a number of hate incidents and crimes would never be reported or recorded.
Commonly known as the 3Rs, TPRCs have three main functions:
TPRCs provide an alternative way to report a hate crime, give confidential advice, help you report it, and support you along the way. You can remain anonymous if you wish, and you don’t need to have contact with the police if you don’t want to.
Sam Waddington, Southampton Hate Crime Network co-ordinator, explains what a Third Party Reporting Centre is and what you can expect when seeking their advice and support:
LOCAL TPRCs
Partnership working has led to the setting up of many TPRCs across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The Southampton Love Don’t Hate app for smart phones also lists all Third Party Reporting Centres in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and automatically directs you to the one nearest to you. The app is available from Apple and Android app stores.
NATIONAL TPRCs
You can also report hate crime via one of the following independent reporting sites without revealing your personal details:
CITIZENS ADVICE SERVICE – helps people resolve legal and other problems including harassment by providing free, independent and confidential advice. citizensadvice.org.uk
CST – has a dedicated team that deals with antisemitic incidents and provides victim support, while respecting your confidentiality at all times cst.org.uk
EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – aims to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society. 0845 604 6610 equaityhumanrights.com
GALOP DV – aims to relieve the distress and suffering caused to lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender people by domestic violence and abuse. broken-rainbow.org.uk
THE MUSLIM COUNCIL OF BRITAIN – is a national representative Muslim umbrella body with more than 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools. 0845 2626786 mcb.org.uk
STONEWALL – works with a whole range of agencies to address the needs of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in the wider community. 09000 502 020 stonewall.org.uk
STOP HATE LINE –The Stop Hate Line is a free, 24-hour helpline for anyone who has experienced hate crime. It is run by Stop Hate UK, and provides a confidential and independent service. 0800 138 1625 stophateuk.org
TELL MAMA – is a secure and reliable service that allows people from across England to report any form of Anti-Muslim abuse. 0800 456 1226 tellmamauk.org
TRUE VISION – Provides advice and support to victims of hate incidents and crime, including online reporting. report-it.org.uk
REPORT RACISM GRT – is a hate incident reporting site and support service that is run by and for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities in the UK by Herts GATE reportracismgrt.com
Victim Care Service
The Victim Care Service is a free service that provides support for victims of crime to cope with, and recover from, the harmful effects of the crime they have experienced. The service is available to all victims and witnesses aged four years and up – it does not matter:
The Victim Care Service offers:
To find out how the Victim Care Service could help you, call 0808 178 1641 (open Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 8pm) or visit: hampshireiowvictimcare.co.uk
As an employer, if a crime has occurred you need to report it to the police.
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s team have worked with Enterprise Ltd and other local community safety partners to develop a series of hate crime guides for businesses, which contain specific advice for organisations, managers, and employees.
Addressing and tackling hate crime is everyone’s responsibility. This begins with educating young people about hate crime and the devastating impact it can have on victims and communities. A young person’s preconceived views, prejudices and stereotypes can be successfully challenged through early intervention and education, preventing these views from becoming engrained for the rest of their lives. The following resources are available to help support schools and colleges:
Prejudicial Language Toolkit
This is a free toolkit which has been developed jointly by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office and the four local education authorities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to help support schools to tackle, challenge and address prejudicial language and behaviours within their schools (key stage 1-4).
The toolkit is broken into three parts:
Further resources on hate crime can be found here:
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council
https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/multicultural-forum
https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/equalities
Southampton City Council
https://www.southampton.gov.uk/people-places/community-safety/pledge-against-hate.aspx
Portsmouth City Council
https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/ext/environmental-health/crime-and-nuisance/hate-crime
Hampshire County Council
https://www.hants.gov.uk/news/hate-crime
https://www.hants.gov.uk/community/saferhampshire/report-hate-crime
IOW Council
If your organisation is interested in becoming a TPRC, please contact the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in the first instance.
The team have put together two training presentations that you can access below; however, if you do want to set up as a TPRC you must register your interest with the OPCC to ensure you are linked up with the local policing team and community cohesion officer and receive the right support from the Commissioner’s team as well as the police.
Introduction to hate crime and TPRCs
Refresher training for existing TPRCs
Do I need to know everything about hate crime to be a TPRC?
No, you do not have to know everything about hate crime to provide support. As part of becoming a TPRC you will have been provided basic training on what hate crime is and how to support the reporting of hate crime. You can receive refresher training whenever needed. However, the most important thing is to just listen to the victim and show them that you care.
If my organisation provides restricted services, e.g. for students, will I have to open up my services to the general public as a TPRC?
The simple answer is no. The idea of being a TPRC is to provide hate crime support to those you come into contact with through your everyday work.
Do I need to know the law surrounding hate crime? Do I need to know the difference between a hate crime and a hate incident to report to the police?
It helps if you have a basic understanding of the fundamental legal aspects of hate crime to better explain the next steps to the victim. However, this is not essential, and you do not have to be an expert in the details of how the incident will be investigated and progressed. The victim can expect the police to explain this unless the victim has chosen not to have police involvement.
Similarly, while it is useful for you to have an idea of the main differences between a crime and a non-crime incident, this is up to the police to determine and should not affect your decision to report.
What kind of information should I submit in a CPI?
If you become aware of information which is non-urgent, i.e. a child or adult is not at immediate risk, and it is not a crime, you can submit this through a CPI.
Examples include knowing that someone is involved in criminal behaviour but you do know exact details, or becoming aware of an event which you think could impact on community cohesion or tensions, such as a demonstration.
Below you can find an annual snap shot of all police recorded hate crimes recorded by Hampshire Constabulary and broken down by local authority areas. This data will be updated and refreshed every six months.
The link below provides annual national statistics (England and Wales only) of hate crimes and racist incidents recorded by police forces nationally. These statistics are reported annually by the Home Office and are traditionally released in October during Hate Crime Awareness Week.
National hate crime statistics
No. There are many options for dealing with hate crime, depending on the circumstances of the case and ranging from cautions, restorative justice, fines, or taking the case to court. The Crown Prosecution Service decides whether your case progresses to court based on a number of criteria.
Hate crime is a category of offences and behaviours we commonly refer to as hate crime. This is not a legal offence, but rather a grouping of offences, similarly to domestic abuse.
In practice, this means that when a hate crime takes place, the initial recording will be of a hate incident. The police will then investigate to determine what, if any, criminal offences have taken place.
Yes. You do not have to support a police investigation to receive support. Equally, you can contact the Victim Care Service for help even if you do not want to report the crime or incident to the police. You will receive the same level of support as you would otherwise.
While there are certain fluctuations in hate crime numbers, including dips and peaks at certain times and after certain events, hate crime numbers have been going steadily up in the last years. While there are many reasons for this, one important reason is that people are becoming increasingly aware of what hate crime is and more comfortable and confident to report hate crime.
Hate crimes can receive a higher sentence at court because of the disproportionate impact it can have on the victim and wider community. This means that judges can increase the penalty for an offence if it was motivated by hate.
Yes, it is still important to report hate crime even if you do not want the police to get involved. You can do this by either reporting anonymously, through a Third Party Reporting Centre, or by stating that you do not want the police to investigate.
This way police will still know what is happening and can build a better picture of the local area and what people are experiencing.
