Hate crime strategy

4. Why do we need a new hate crime strategy?

We know all too well the devastating impact that hatred and prejudice can have on individuals, communities and wider society.

The voices of people with lived experience of hate crime have been central to the development of this strategy and members of the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group – who have specific expertise in championing equality, inclusion and human rights – designed and led a human rights-based,^[4] trauma-informed approach to engagement.^[5]

Engagement took place between September 2022 and January 2023 and was led by Age Scotland, BEMIS Scotland (Empowering Scotland's Ethnic and Cultural Minority Communities), CEMVO Scotland, Equality Network, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Interfaith Scotland, and YouthLink Scotland.^[6]

As we developed this strategy, we heard some harrowing examples of the types of abuse people have faced, and the impact it has had on them. Experiences of hate crime can feel different for different people, especially when a combination of characteristics interact and amplify its impact. For example, a young person from an ethnic minority group or a disabled person who also identifies as LGBT+ could be said to have intersecting characteristics. Hate crime can also feel different for someone who visibly belongs to a protected group.

At an engagement with Sikh and Muslim women, we heard that there are people who feel scared to leave their homes, avoid public places and public transport, and who have significantly altered how they live their life in order to avoid certain interactions.

"I definitely won’t go out after 6pm now.”
Source: Interfaith Scotland engagement, September 2022

"I have changed my lifestyle and will not go on buses now, and will wait hours for a lift rather than catching a bus.”
Source: Interfaith Scotland engagement, September 2022

A young woman from a minority ethnic group talked about how experiencing prejudice made her think twice about wearing traditional dress due to fears of attracting further abuse.

"I sometimes feel uncomfortable wearing the hijab. It has impacted my confidence a lot.”
Source: CEMVO Scotland engagement, October 2022

Shockingly, for some people, experiencing a hate crime is considered a normal part of daily life. Often, it is the culmination of abuse and prejudice experienced that can compound the feeling of not being welcome in a community - as identified by a disabled participant during a Glasgow Disability Alliance led engagement session in October.

"The way it impacted my health is, you get it so much that you just don’t want to live no more.”
Disabled person
Source: Glasgow Disability Alliance engagement, October 2022

It is widely accepted that hate crime is underreported for a range of reasons – including the perception it won't be treated seriously, fear someone will not be believed, having to repeat traumatic experiences, and fear of escalation. Many participants told us about their mistrust of police and the criminal justice system. For some people in the LGBT+ community, historic criminalisation is a deterring factor in reporting hate crime to the police.

A recent report 'Life in Scotland for LGBT+ Young People' found that just 17% of young people surveyed reported that they would feel confident reporting a hate crime to the police if they experienced one.^[7]

"I don’t feel I would be believed, and even if I was it’s really hard to actually get any action taken against someone, especially when you have no proof. The process can be horrific for victims, and I cannot handle that.”
LGBT+ young person
Source: LGBT Youth Report, April 2022

We heard that the nature of hate crime has evolved. Increased social media use over the past decade has changed how people and communities experience hate crime, and that for some it can feel constant.

"The harassment is insidious.”
Disabled person
Source: Glasgow Disability Alliance engagement, October 2022

"These days, people are clever how they harass you. There are many ways to set up anonymous accounts, multiple accounts, bots.”
Disabled person
Source: Glasgow Disability Alliance engagement, October 2022

We also heard that we need to do more to equip witnesses with the skills to support an individual when it is possible and safe to do so, including reporting what has happened.

Overwhelmingly, our engagement has told us that we need to do more to raise awareness of hate crime and prevent it from happening in the first place. We also need to do more to educate children and young people about what prejudice and hate crime are so that it can be addressed. One participant commented:

"A family friend had to move away from the area because the school did not resolve the problem, but the same problem is now occurring at the new school.”
Chinese person
Source: CEMVO Scotland engagement, September 2022

We know that our engagement doesn't cover the experiences of everyone who has experienced hate crime in Scotland, and that there is more to do to capture the views of people who may not engage with stakeholder representative groups. We also acknowledge that people are frustrated at having shared their experiences in the past and feel nothing has changed, and we recognise that if we are to convince these communities that this is a renewed effort, they must see change.

Tackling hate crime is not the responsibility of those that are targeted, it is everyone's business. It will take a concerted effort to eradicate such behaviour, and that will take some time. It is only when everyone feels safe in their communities and is fully able to participate in public life that we can say we have fully achieved our aim.

We are clear that everyone should be able to live free from hatred and prejudice. This strategy sets out how we plan to work together to build on work to date, to both prevent and tackle hatred and prejudice in Scotland.