Hate Incidents & Harassment
Hate Incidents or hate-based harassment are terms used to describe acts of hostility, prejudice or violence directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. They are motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s disability, race, gender, sexuality, religion or transgender identity.
Some examples of hate incidents include;
- verbal abuse
- harassment
- bullying or intimidation
- physical attacks such as pushing or spitting
- threats of violence
- hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages, hate mail
- online abuse
When hate incidents become criminal offences they are known as hate crimes. A criminal offence is something that breaks the law. Some examples of hate crimes include:
- assaults
- criminal damage
- harassment
- sexual assault
If you have experienced hate, there is no right or wrong way to feel or be. What has happened is not your fault and you’re not alone. Your safety and wellbeing are the most important things right now and you can access specialist support, if and whenever you feel ready.
UNIVERSITY SUPPORT
- A Wellbeing Advisor will discuss your options with you and will be able to offer appropriate practical and emotional support tailored to your circumstances. This is confidential and does not instigate any kind of formal reporting process. You can get in touch anytime by emailing wellbeing@ua92.ac.uk.
- Spectrum Life is our 24/7 student support platform; details of how to access here.
EXTERNAL SUPPORT
- Stop Hate UK: provides independent, confidential and accessible reporting and support for victims, witnesses and third parties.
- 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, and sexual orientation and transgender identity hate crime.
- 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.
- Greater Manchester Victims’ Services: this website provides useful information and practical advice for victims and survivors of crime, and their families. You can use it to find help, regardless of when the crime happened, or whether or not you reported it to the police.
- Manchester LGBT Foundation: the foundation has a number of groups covering a wide section of the LGBT community which meet at the Community Resource Centre on Richmond Street in Manchester.
- Galop: an LGBT+ anti-violence charity who support people who have experienced hate crime, sexual violence or domestic abuse. They also support lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people who have had problems with the police or have questions about the criminal justice system.
- Disability Equality NW: this network 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 (CS): helps those who are victims of anti-Semitic hatred, harassment or bias.
- On Your Side: is the only UK-wide support and reporting system for ESEA communities who experience racism and/or other forms of hate. It is free to use and available in multiple languages including Fookien, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Japanese, and Vietnamese.
REPORTING OPTIONS
It’s your choice. It’s completely up to you whether or not to report what’s happened. No-one else can or should make that choice for you.
- Police: In an emergency or if you are in immediate danger, you should dial 999. Otherwise, you can call 101 or visit your local police station to report a crime. Reporting is a big decision and all the support services linked to above can support you with this, if you decide to make a police report.
- UA92: If the perpetrator is a member of the University community, you will have the option of submitting a formal report. The first step to making a formal report is to submit a report form.