What is hate crime?

A hate crime is 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 actual or presumed disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or whether they are transgender.

Hate crime can be any criminal or non-criminal act such as graffiti, vandalism to a property, name calling, assault or online abuse using social media.

Practical advice & tips

If you’ve experienced hate crime, remember that it's not your fault. However, there are things you can do that may help to reduce the risk of it happening again, and they may help you to feel that you’re getting your life back under control.