Types of Hate Crime

Racial Occurrence

A Racist occurrence is any occurrence which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.

'Racist' does not necessarily relate only to colour but also to racial background, nationality and ethnic/national origin. This would include crime as well as non-crime occurrences.

Some occurrences are hard to recognise, particularly if the acts / behaviour to which the victims are subjected do not have any explicit racist message.

Sexual Orientation (Homophobic) Occurrence

A homophobic occurrence is any occurrence that is perceived to be homophobic by the victim or any other person. This definition includes all occurrences whether they are recordable crimes or not. In effect, any occurrence intended to have an adverse impact on those perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual people or men who have sex with men. Homophobia is hatred or fear of lesbian, gay or bisexual people.

Transgender (Transphobic) Occurrence

A transphobic occurrence is any occurrence that is perceived to be transphobic by the victim or any other person. This definition includes all occurrences whether they are recordable crimes or not. In effect, any occurrence intended to have an adverse impact on those perceived to be transgender. Transphobic is hatred or fear of transgender people. A transgendered person is someone who has, or is intending to go through a procedure to change their physical appearance (e.g. from male to female).

Sexual Orientation (Heterophobic) Occurrence

An example of a non-crime occurrence could be a person who reports being turned away from a gay public house because they are heterosexual. An example of a Hate Crime could be where a person reports being assaulted and subjected, at the time of the assault, to derogatory language relating to the fact that the victim was heterosexual.

Religious (Faith Related) Occurrence

Any occurrence which is perceived to be based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the faith of the victim or so perceived by the victim or any other person.

Disability (Disablist) Occurrence

Any occurrence which is based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the victim because of their disability or is perceived to be so by the victim or any other person.

Asylum Seeker Occurrence / Refugee Occurrence / Migrant Worker Occurrence

An occurrence is any occurrence that is perceived to be because the individual is seen as an asylum seeker/refugee or because they are a migrant worker by the victim or any other person. This definition includes all occurrences whether they are recordable crimes or not. In effect, any occurrence intended to have an adverse impact on those perceived to be against an asylum seeker/refugee/migrant.

On many occasions the hate crime occurrence may be against the individual/group because of their ethnicity, for example it may be because they are a Polish migrant worker or a person of Turkish origin who is an asylum seeker.

Gender Occurrence

Any occurrence which is based upon prejudice towards or hatred of the victim because they are male or female or is perceived to be so by the victim or any other person.

Irish Traveller Occurrence / Romany Peoples Occurrence

An occurrence is any occurrence that is perceived to be because the individual is either an Irish Traveller or a Romany Gypsy, either by the victim or any other person. This definition includes all occurrences whether they are recordable crimes or not. In effect, any occurrence intended to have an adverse impact on those perceived to be against an Irish Traveller or Romany Peoples.