Hate Crime and Reporting

Understanding Hate Crime and Hate Incidents

Most crimes are motivated by something the victim possesses or controls. Hate crime is different – it’s motivated by who the victim is or who they are perceived to be.

A hate crime is defined as any criminal offence perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on:

  • Race or perceived race
  • Religion or perceived religion
  • Sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation
  • Disability or perceived disability
  • Gender identity or perceived gender identity

A hate incident is any situation where someone believes they’ve been targeted due to prejudice related to the same characteristics—even if it doesn’t meet the threshold of a criminal offence. Importantly, you don’t need to personally perceive it as hate-related—if a witness or police officer does, it can still be recorded as such.

Types of Hate Crime

Hate crime can take many forms, including:

  • Physical assault: Any kind of physical violence is a criminal offence. Depending on severity, it may be classified as common assault, actual bodily harm (ABH), or grievous bodily harm (GBH).
  • Verbal abuse: Threats, name-calling, or offensive language can be deeply distressing. Even if you’re unsure whether an offence has occurred, reporting it helps improve safety and awareness.
  • Incitement to hatred: This includes threatening behaviour or content (e.g. words, images, videos, music, or online posts) intended to stir up hatred against a person or group.

Examples of hate content:

  • Messages calling for violence
  • Web pages showing or encouraging harm
  • Online forums promoting hate crimes

Reporting and Support

If you experience or witness a hate crime or incident:

  • You are not alone, and it is not your fault.
  • You do not have to wait for it to happen again to report it.
  • You do not need to be certain it was a hate crime—if it felt wrong, it’s worth talking to someone.

You can report incidents to:

Alternatively, you can use the Report a Concern portal to report an incident and request support. A Student Life Adviser will contact you directly—there’s no need to reach out separately.

Student Life Advisers can also arrange for you to speak with one of our University Police Community Support Officers in confidence.

Further Information and External Support

If you’ve experienced verbal abuse or other forms of hate crime, you can also contact West Mercia Police or visit their How to Report Hate Crime page for more guidance and support.