Hate crime is the term used to describe behaviour that is both criminal and rooted in prejudice.
In Scotland, the law currently recognises hate crime based on prejudice towards the following groups:
- age
- disability
- race
- religion
- sexual orientation
- transgender identity
- variations in sex characteristics
Different types of incident can be hate crimes. It could be when someone:
- threatens you
- calls you names
- uses abusive language
- says something abusive online
- hits you
- damages your property
Hate crime can target a particular person or an entire group. You don’t have to be a member of the targeted group/s to be a victim of hate crime, as the law applies to crimes based on someone’s belief about your identity, even if that is incorrect. Some people will belong to or identify with more than one protected group. For some, a combination of characteristics will mean that they experience hate crime in a specific way – referred to as intersectionality. Intersectionality can significantly impact how people experience hate crime, for some people intersecting characteristics can amplify experiences of prejudice and hate crime.
If you have experienced or witnessed a hate crime please report it. The police take hate crime very seriously.
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