Bradford Hate Crime Alliance is working on identifying key priorities for a revised Hate Crime Strategy.
Hate is learned behaviour.
A Hate Crime is defined as:
‘Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s race or perceived race; religion or perceived religion; sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; disability or perceived disability and any crime motivated by hostility or prejudice against a person who is transgender or perceived to be transgender.’
However, Equality Together Bradford knows that there is a lack of understanding and under-reporting across all hate crime. We also know that there a particular barriers to understanding disability hate crime.
Disability: A victim of any crime will have psychological and mental health impact. “…the more someone feels targeted by racist actions and behaviours, the greater the damage to their mental health. This includes increased likelihood to develop chronic depression, anxiety and psychological distress.”
“Citizens who experience hate crime and incidents can suffer stress, anger and distress for longer than a crime that is not related to their characteristics. Survivors are likely to feel more vulnerable after the experience and see the world as more dangerous, unpredictable and hostile.”
Equality Together Bradford has organised a focus group to take place where disabled people can have their say on what the new Hate Crime Strategy should prioritise.
The focus group will aim to understand:
People’s experience of abuse and harassment (this could be verbal, physical or emotional)
If it was reported and who it was reported to
What was the support/response people got
Reasons for not reporting
What would help to make people feel more confident about reporting
How we can make people feel more safe
Ideas to reduce hate crime in the district
Ideas to make our communities get on better together
Challenges to reducing hate crime and how to overcome them
Priorities for a new Hate Crime Strategy
For more information about having your say on Hate Crimes in Bradford, log on to- https://bradfordhatecrimealliance.com/.
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