Homepage > Citizenship > Hate Crime

Hate crime is when someone attacks another person verbally or physically, and they are motivated by prejudice or hate against a particular group of people. While more hate crime is verbal than physical, that does not mean it's not serious, or very upsetting for the person being harassed. It includes people who are of a different:

• race
• belief or religious sect
• sexuality or gender identity or
• are a vulnerable adult because of their age, frailty or any disability

Domestic abuse involving anyone you have a close relationship with, such as your parents or partner, is also a form of hate crime.

The two most common forms of hate crime are racism and homophobia.

Racism: When a person commits a crime against someone because of the colour of their skin, their ethnic background, their accent or use of a foreign language, that is racism - a hate crime.

Homophobia: When someone is victimised because of their sexuality, because they are, or the attacker thinks they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transsexual, that is hate crime.

Other kinds of hate crime include violence or harassment against people because of their religion, refugee or asylum seeker status or disability.

All local police forces have teams dedicated to hate crime and national websites have been set up helping you to report hate crime online or through your local police force.

If you or someone you know is a victim of hate crime, it's important that you don't retaliate. You could risk violence or make the situation worse.

Make sure you tell someone about it. If you're at school or college, tell a teacher or staff member what has happened and they'll help you sort it out and help you decide whether you want to inform the police.

In any situation, it's your right to go to the police, report a crime and have it investigated. If you're scared to go to the police, you can talk in confidence to a Personal Adviser at any of our Centres.

You can also contact your local Domestic Violence and Hate Crime Unit through the following numbers for Essex Police Stations:

• Basildon 01268 532212
• Braintree 01376 551312
• Chelmsford 01245 491212
• Colchester 01206 762212
• Harlow 01279 641212
• Rayleigh 01268 275533
• Southend 01702 431212
• Tendring 01255 221312
• Thurrock 01375 391212

In am emergency, always call 999. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Useful national and local contact numbers for victim support and helplines are listed in:

• Helplines (Word document)
• Helplines PDF document)

 that you can look at or print out. These websites also have details of how to contact someone for help.

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