26. Hate crime

Resolution submitted by RCN Cambridgeshire Branch

That RCN Congress calls on Council to promote awareness of the impact and effect of hate crime

Play this video

Progress report

Submitted by: Cambridgeshire Branch
Council lead and committee assigned: Sandra James, Diversity Committee
Committee decision: New work
Members involved: Carol Evans, RCN Council member and Cambridgeshire Branch

Final summary update at May 2012

This resolution saw members at Congress share how hate crimes have impacted on peoples’ lives, with Council urged to keep hate crime high on the agenda.

Since Congress the RCN Diversity Committee has made links with Stop Hate UK and Unite Against Hate, who collectively have a presence across the UK, raising awareness of hate crime and promoting the importance of reporting hate incidents.

The RCN has finished filming footage for a short video designed to raise awareness and understanding of hate crimes as well as targeted violence and hostility. The video will be available on the RCN website towards the end of 2012. RCN member Carol Evans from the Cambridgeshire Branch was involved in the filming of the video.

The RCN is also producing a short guide on third party reporting of hate crimes and how to access support at regional, national and UK levels. Extensive research is being undertaken and will bring together the range of organisations working to support those who experience hate and incidents of targeted violence and hostility across the UK. This is also due to be published towards the end of 2012.

Debate report

Proposer Karen Evans (Cambridgeshire branch) told Congress that hate crime was responsible for people living their day-to-day lives in fear.

Many speakers took to the stand to recount their personal experiences of hate crime and how it made them feel, relating this to how the people they care for must be affected when this happens to them.  Tom Bolger (Suffolk branch) stated that, “Hate crime is a criminal expression of emotional ignorance.” He added that the College should take the lead in providing advice and support.

Bethann Siviter was keen to point out that people who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing hate crime are not a ‘them’ but ‘us’.
In her right to reply Karen Evans urged Congress to keep hate crime high on the agenda.

Result

For   99.77% (427)
Against   0.23% (1)
Abstain  0

Hate incidents are broadly defined by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) as any incident, which may or may not constitute a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate.

Information from ACPO shows that in 2009 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland the police service recorded 52,028 crimes where the victim, or any other person, perceived a criminal offence to be motivated by hostility on grounds either of race, religious belief, sexual orientation, disability or because a person is transgender. This figure represents an increase on the previous year. Meanwhile in Scotland, data from the Procurator Fiscal highlights a rise in reported crimes where race is a factor.

Despite the rise in the number of reported incidents, research indicates there is a significant level of under reporting of hate incidents across all areas, and particularly in relation to sexual orientation and transgender-related incidents. For example, research published by Stonewall Scotland in 2010 reveals that one third of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people surveyed experienced some form of physical violence, and that 61% of this number did not report the incident to the authorities.

Research by Chakrabouti and Garland (2009) also suggests that many forms of hate crime take the shape of ‘everyday harassment’ which often goes unreported, despite the damaging and long-term consequences for victims, their families and broader communities. This perhaps suggests that the level of hate incidents overall are higher than the recorded figures. Meanwhile, the Equality and Human Rights Commission is currently undertaking a formal investigation into disability-related harassment, and is due to report during the spring of 2011.

Growing public awareness of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Stephen Lawrence, Fiona Pilkington, Ian Baynham and others has focussed attention on the complexity of hate incidents. In response, a number of police forces in England and Wales are currently trialling a new approach to dealing with anti-social behaviour. The programme, which runs between January and July 2011, aims to use risk assessment tools to identify the most vulnerable victims, enable the sharing of information between agencies, and ensure complaints are appropriately recorded from the outset.

There are a number of organisations and projects in place across the UK with a remit to tackle hate incidents and crimes. One such example - Stop Hate UK - is an independent charity whose aim is to raise awareness of hate crime and its impact on victims, provide support to those affected by hate crime, and encourage its reporting primarily across the English regions. The charity recommends that organisations, teams and individuals give consideration to how they can reduce the levels of under-reporting that exists as well as developing or improving practices that support victims and prevent the incident from happening in future.

References and further reading

Balderston S and Roebuck E (2010) Empowering people to tackle hate crime: trans women and disabled people working together with victim services in North East England, London:  Equality and Human Rights Commission, Gay Advice Darlington and Durham, Victim Support (North East Region) and Vision Sense. Available at:  http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/fairerbritain/empowering_people_to_tackle_crime.pdf  (Accessed 04/02/11) (Web)

Chakraborti N and Garland J (2009) Hate crime: impact, causes and responses, London: Sage

Stonewall Scotland (2010) How safe are you?: lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people’s experiences of community safety, Edinburgh: Stonewall Scotland. Available at: http://www.stonewall.org.uk/documents/stonewall_scotland_community_safety_survey_final.pdf  (Accessed 04/02/11) (Web)

Vincent F and others (2009) Hate crime against people with disabilities: a baseline study of experiences in Northern Ireland, Belfast: Institute of Conflict Research. Available at: http://www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk/profile.asp?guid=b27f2e26-808b-4f3a-b796-48a8ea8d4b4e  (Accessed 04/02/11) (Web)