Hate crime
Understanding hate crimes
Any crime or incident which you believe is happening because of race, ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability is a hate crime.
You could also be a victim of hate crime if you believe you are being targeted because the offender perceives you to be different in some way.
It could be a crime or incident such as:
- Physical abuse
- Intimidation
- Vandalism
- Verbal abuse/ name calling
- Graffiti
- Harassment
- Cyber-bullying
Any experience of hate crime may leave you feeling angry, alone, stressed, depressed or frightened. You do not have to deal with this on your own; there are many services to support you whenever you need help.
It does not matter if you are not sure whether an incident amounts to a crime or if you have not reported it to the police. Lancashire Victim Services are available to talk, to listen, for advice, for help.
Reporting hate crime
If you have witnessed or been a victim of hate crime, you must report it. This can be done in a number of ways:
- In an emergency always ring 999
- For non-emergencies ring 101
- Report anonymously online via True Vision
- Report online with Lancashire Constabulary
Hate crime: the facts
- 66% of lesbian, gay and bisexual people who experience a hate crime or incident do not report it to anyone
- 66% of people with disabilities fear being a victim of hate crime and almost half of those asked had already been a victim
- 64% of transgender people felt their quality of life was significantly affected by the fear of hate crime
- 90% of victims of racial hate crime said their most recent experience of hate crime has impacted on the quality of their life
- 45% of victims of religiously motivated, violent hate crime felt anxious as a result of their victimisation
#SayNoToHate
Last updated: 13 September 2018