Stop Hate Crime – Older People
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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Although age is not a protected strand under hate crime, it was important to consider in the project due to the high proportion of older people in North Yorkshire.
26.7% of the population of North Yorkshire and York is aged over 60:
The group expressed that ‘ageism’ could be an issue in some circumstances and particularly when driving. It was felt that this was down to ‘nastiness’ as older people often drove more carefully and therefore more slowly. However, some did feel intimidated or threatened because of the behaviour aimed at them in other situations such as when finding money to pay in a shop. They felt that due to their age, they might not be able to ‘fight back’ if required, adding to feelings of vulnerability.
Some felt that care abuse issues such as that seen at Winterbourne View could be specific to older people and that reporting crime in these environments could be difficult.
Most felt that they had not been victims of hatred due to their age, however they felt more intimidated by offenders as they got older, due to increasing aggression from younger people.
More generally, the older generations felt that they would not go to the police to report lower level crime or ASB. Although not a hate crime issue, this suggests that more could be done to reach out to older people, particularly those who are alone, to ensure that they can contact the right services if needed.