What a hate crime is
A hate crime is any crime that the victim – or anyone else – thinks is motivated by prejudice against someone's:
- race or ethnicity
- religion
- sexual orientation
- disability
- transgender identity
Hate crime can include things like:
- verbal abuse
- physical attack
- offensive literature
- graffiti
- damage to property
- setting fire to property on purpose
You can read the full definition and find out more about hate crime on the Crown Prosecution Service website.
See our strategy for tackling hate crime:
What a hate incident is
If something is not a crime, it may be a hate incident if the victim – or anyone else – thinks it was motivated by prejudice.
Hate incidents can include things like:
- verbal abuse, like name-calling and offensive jokes
- harassment
- bullying or intimidation by children, adults, neighbours or strangers
- hoax calls
- online abuse – for example, on Facebook or Twitter
- throwing rubbish into a garden
- malicious complaints – for example, complaints about parking, smells or noise
If you believe something is a hate incident rather than a hate crime, you should still report it.