Government Launches New Hate Crime Awareness Campaign

Posted on October 31, 2018 by alexgloster in Anti-Social Behaviour, Community Safety, crime, Cybercrime, Hate Crime, Police, support, Vulnerability, warwickshire // 0 Comments

A new nationwide hate crime campaign aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of what constitutes a hate crime has been launched by the government.

The campaign aims to help the public understand hate crime, particularly offences which often people do not recognise as criminal, such as some forms of online and verbal abuse.

This includes educating perpetrators who have been motivated by hostility towards the victim’s race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability that they have committed a hate crime.

The strapline of the campaign sends a clear message about what hate crime is:

‘If you target anyone with verbal, online or physical abuse because of their religion, race, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity – you may be committing a hate crime. It’s not just offensive. It’s an offence.’

The campaign consists of adverts running on video-on-demand sites, social media and posters to be displayed across the country.

Each video or poster features a different offender, represented by an e-fit, and a hate crime taking place. These include verbal abuse on the street, in a bar and on public transport; graffiti sprayed on a shop front; and somebody posting hate-filled messages online.

The campaign seeks to reassure communities at risk of hate crime that the government takes this seriously and to publicly address the attitudes and beliefs that foster hate crime and re-establish boundaries around not targeting people on the basis of their identify.

In Warwickshire

Report Hate Now is a Warwickshire-based website offering residents another reporting route and more information about local support services.

Earlier this month, we held the ‘Love Instead of Hate‘ 2018 conference for Warwickshire communities for National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

Last years local campaign saw dozens of ‘Cake Not Hate‘ events take place across the county, and the release of ‘Love Instead of Hate (Give It A Try)’ by Jordan Charles and Letitia George: