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Stop Hate Crime – National picture: who is most at risk?

WARNING:

This report contains offensive language. These are examples of hate crime that were expressed over the course of this research. This language has not been censored as it is important to understand the nature of this type of crime as it occurs.

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Hate crime can happen anywhere. Victims of hate crime have an identifiable (or perceived) difference to others.

Victims can be targeted as a result of any identifiable characteristic. Religious markers such as veils; turbans; skullcaps; crucifixes (etc.) or disability aids such as wheelchairs; carers; any visual disability or the effects of mental disability can be indicators of an individual’s identity and may make them more susceptible to hate crime.

Religion/belief

Crime Survey data from 2011-2013 shows that there are an estimated 70,000 faith hate crimes per year. Muslims are most likely to cite their religion as a causational factor of the crime committed against them.[1] A quarter of all faith hate crimes are recorded as violence against the person.[2]

Muslims and Jews are particularly at risk of victimisation due to global events. Following 9/11, 7/7 and events such as the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby have increased ‘Islamophobia’ and a backlash of crimes including attacks on mosques and targeting Muslim women identifiable by their cultural dress. The ongoing Israel/Palestine conflict and attacks on Jewish establishments (such as seen in Paris 2015) add to anti-Semitic views.

Disability

There are 62,000 disability motivated hate crimes per year, on average.[3] 32% of these occurrences were recorded as ‘violence against the person.’ The majority of hate crime aimed at disabled persons are physical attacks and damage/theft of property.[4] Many perpetrators are known to the victim and an increasing number of offenders are teenagers and young people.[5]

Race

There was an average of 154,000 incidents of racially motivated hate crime in England and Wales last year, the majority of which were personal crimes (such as assault).[6] Race hate crimes accounted for 85% of all hate crimes in 2012/13. Race and ethnicity are the most frequently cited reasons for why people thought they had been a victim of a hate crime, with black and Asian respondents being especially prevalent.[7]

Gender identity

Gender identity is an emerging awareness issue as discussions about identity choices increase due to some high profile ambassadors for transgender awareness.  This is reflected in the Crime Survey for England and Wales which only began asking about gender-identity hate crime in 2011. This type of hate crime has the lowest recorded figures nationally with only 361 offences in 2012/13.[8]

Sexual orientation

Data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show that there is an average of 39,000 sexual orientation hate crimes.[9] Stonewall carried out the Gay British Crime Survey in 2013, which asked the views of 2500 lesbian, gay and bisexual adults found that 1 in 6 LGB people experienced a homophobic hate crime incident in the last three years, and that two thirds of those did not report it to anyone.[10] A quarter felt that they needed to alter their behaviour so they are not perceived as being gay, to avoid becoming a victim of crime.[11]

Some research suggests that internal environments for police officers can be challenging for those who are lesbian, gay or bisexual. 1 in 6 LGB police officers and staff do not feel confident reporting anti-gay bullying in their force.[12]

Overall, there is evidence to suggest that hate crime is underreported in all of these characteristics. Establishing why that is, and who is most at risk in North Yorkshire is essential to tackling this type of crime and ensuring that all residents can ‘be safe, feel safe.’

[1] University of Leicester, ‘The Leicester Hate Crime Project,’ 2014

[2] Home Office, ‘An Overview of Hate Crime in England and Wales,’ 2013

[3] Home Office, ‘An Overview of Hate Crime in England and Wales,’ 2013

[4] Julie Beadle-Brown et al, ‘Living in Fear: Better Outcomes for People with Learning Disabilities and Autism,’ 2013

[5] Beadle-Brown et al, ‘Living in Fear: Better Outcomes for People with Learning Disabilities and Autism,’ 2013

[6] Home Office, ‘An Overview of Hate Crime in England and Wales,’ 2013

[7] University of Leicester, ‘The Leicester Hate Crime Project,’ 2014

[8] Home Office, ‘An Overview of Hate Crime in England and Wales,’ 2013

[9] Home Office, ‘An Overview of Hate Crime in England and Wales,’ 2013

[10] Stonewall, ‘The Gay British Crime Survey,’ 2013

[11] Stonewall, ‘The Gay British Crime Survey,’ 2013

[12] Stonewall, ‘Protecting Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People,’ 2013