At Space Youth Project, we strongly support National Hate Crime Awareness Week and their campaign to make our country a #SafePlaceForALL.
This year they are focusing on providing support to the victims of transphobic hate crimes, which have unfortunately risen in number over the past couple of years.
#WeStandTogether with Dorset Police and Prejudice Free Dorset to prove that our local area is #NoPlaceForHate
So what is a Hate Crime?
Prejudice Free Dorset defines a Hate Crime as “a crime which is targeted at a person because of prejudice towards their race, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
This is sometimes a physical assault, such as hitting or kicking someone, but also includes verbal attacks & harassment, domestic abuse, or damage to property (e.g. vandalism)
Why is it important to report Hate Crimes?
Hate Crimes are massively under-reported because people are afraid of the consequences if their attacker finds out, or because they think their experience wasn’t “serious enough”
Victims of Hate Crimes are more likely to suffer repeated abuse from the same person or group and suffer long-term emotional effects.
Reporting a Hate Crime prevents it from happening to anyone else, improves the accuracy of local Hate Crime statistics (which helps the local authority to accurately provide funding for prevention) and helps you to get the support you need. Did you know that Space Youth Project is a Hate Crime Reporting Centre?
A Hate Crime Reporting Centre is somewhere you can go if you think you have been the victim of a Hate Crime. The staff there will be trained to help you process your thoughts and feelings about what happened and to help you pass information on to the relevant authorities.
At Space Youth Project, we work alongside Prejudice Free Dorset to help tackle hate crimes across the county.
How do I report a Hate Crime?
If you think you have witnessed or been the victim of a Hate Crime, there are multiple ways you can report your experience.
In an emergency, dial 999
If it’s not an emergency but still a serious situation, which may get worse, dial 101
To anonymously report a Hate Crime, contact Crimestoppers - 0800 555 111
Download the Hate Crime2 app to report it to Dorset Police
Report it to Dorset Police online at: https://www.dorset.police.uk/do-it-online/report-a-hate-crime-or-incident/
The team at Space Youth Project are more than happy to help you decide which route is best for you and support you throughout the reporting process.