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.
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.