You may hear the term Hate Incident. A hate incident is behaviour which isn’t a crime but which is perceived by the victim, or anybody else, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on the 5 strands.

Hate Incidents are not crimes but can be reported to the Police and may be recorded. It is important that you report a Hate Incident as this may help to build evidence which could lead to a criminal investigation.

• verbal abuse like name-calling and offensive jokes
• harassment
• bullying or intimidation by children, adults, neighbours or strangers
• threats of violence
• hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages
• online abuse for example on Facebook or Twitter
• displaying or circulating discriminatory literature or posters
• graffiti
• throwing rubbish into a garden
• malicious complaints for example over parking, smells or noise.

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University of Leicester have developed 'The Harms of Hate' Video which you can watch below. Individuals who have been subjected to Hate Crime based on the 5 strands described above. 

A decade on from the original film, ‘Revisiting the Harms of Hate’ released in 2023, features the voices of people typically considered as members of ‘hard-to-reach’ groups, or perhaps more pertinently ‘easy to ignore’. Four victims share their experiences of hate and harassment, and explore how they have been affected by the events of an extraordinary decade.

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You do not have to be the victim or directly involved in a Hate Crime or Hate Incident to report it. 

• In an emergency, always call Merseyside Police on 999
• Report it to the police using the non-emergency 101 number
• Contact the Police via reporting centres here
• Report online – True Vision
• Report via Social Media – Merseyside Police Contact Centre on Facebook

If you do not wish to speak to the Police you can contact one of the Independent Hate Crime reporting services:

• Stop Hate UK - Stop Hate UK is here to help you report a hate crime, receive support before, during and after and to help you understand the process.
• Anthony Walker Foundation- AWF aims to offer emotional support, practical assistance and provide information to anyone who comes forward for help.
• Tell MAMA - Reporting Anti-Muslim or Islamophobia - TELL MAMA supports victims of anti-Muslim hate and is a public service which also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents. It is not meant to be a replacement for the Police Service.
• Community Security Trust - Protecting our Jewish Community  - Community Security Trust (CST) is a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats.
• Crimestoppers - Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously. 
• Third party reporting centres - At each centre, staff are trained to help victims get advice and support in a safe and secure environment.