Hate Crime and Hate Incidents

A hate incident is any incident that the person affected, or anybody else, believes was motivated by hostility or prejudice towards part of who they are. It does not have to be a criminal offence to be recorded as a hate incident, and it does not have to be reported by the person affected.

Recording matters. Incidents that are not crimes can still show a pattern, can help the police act early, and can support later action by a landlord, school, employer or transport operator.

Please note that recording arrangements in England and Wales are changing. In March 2026 the Government announced that non-crime hate incidents are to be scrapped and replaced with a different process. Report what has happened in any case — the police will tell you how it is being recorded. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements.

A hate crime is a criminal offence — such as assault, criminal damage, threats, harassment or public order offences — where the offender was motivated by hostility, or demonstrated hostility, towards part of the person's identity.

The identity characteristics recognised in law, and the way they are recorded, are not identical across the UK. The sections on England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland explain each nation separately.

The simplest way to think about it: an incident is what happened and how it felt; a crime is whether the law was broken. Only the police, prosecutors and ultimately a court can decide whether something is a criminal offence.

Lawful criticism, disagreement or opinions you find offensive are not automatically criminal. Equally, something that seems minor to somebody else may be part of a pattern that is very serious for you. Report it and let the police assess it.

You do not have to name an offence, quote legislation, or be sure why somebody behaved as they did. You can simply say what happened, when, where, and why you believe it was connected to who you are or who somebody assumed you to be.

The police will record it. If it turns out not to be criminal, it can still be recorded as a hate incident.

Anybody. People of every background, faith and none, disabled and non-disabled people, LGBT+ people, older and younger people, people born here and people who have moved here. It happens to people who are visibly different and to people who are not.

It is never the fault of the person targeted, and nothing about somebody's appearance, accent, faith, disability, gender identity or sexuality makes it acceptable.

This includes abuse or violence connected to skin colour, ethnicity, nationality, national origin, language, accent, immigration status or being assumed to belong to a particular group. It can include racist graffiti, damage to a home or vehicle, abuse in the street, in a shop or on public transport, and racist content sent online.

Race is recorded as a hate-crime category by police across the UK. Report it to the police, and consider telling the shop, employer, school or transport operator as well so that they can act.

This covers hostility connected to somebody's religion, faith, belief or lack of belief, including abuse aimed at people because of religious dress, a place of worship, a religious festival, or an assumption about their faith.

Specialist organisations exist alongside the police. Tell MAMA records and supports people affected by anti-Muslim hate, and the Community Security Trust does the same for antisemitic incidents. Neither replaces calling 999 in an emergency.

Disability hate crime includes abuse, mocking, intimidation, financial exploitation, damage to mobility equipment, being targeted at home, and behaviour dressed up as "banter" or friendship — sometimes called mate crime, where somebody befriends a disabled person in order to exploit or abuse them.

It is often under-reported, and it is often repeated by people who are known to the person affected. Ask for the communication support you need when you report, and ask for an advocate if that would help.

This includes abuse, threats, harassment or violence directed at lesbian, gay and bisexual people, and at people assumed to be. It can happen in the street, at work, from neighbours, within a family, or online.

Galop runs a national helpline for LGBT+ people who have experienced abuse and violence, including hate crime, and is open to friends, family and professionals who are worried about somebody.

This includes abuse, threats, harassment, outing somebody without consent, repeated misgendering used to intimidate, and violence directed at trans and non-binary people, or at people assumed to be.

Transgender identity is one of the categories recorded by police across the UK. You can ask to be referred to a specialist organisation such as Galop for support alongside a police report.

In Northern Ireland, sectarian hate is recorded specifically, alongside racist, religious, disability, homophobic and transphobic hate. This reflects Northern Ireland's own history and its own recording arrangements.

Report it to the PSNI, and consider asking the Hate Crime Advocacy Service NI for support through the process. Do not assume that guidance written for England and Wales applies in Northern Ireland.

Abuse is often aimed at several parts of who somebody is at once — for example a disabled Black woman, or an older gay man from a minority faith. You do not have to choose one category when you report.

Tell the police everything you believe was involved and ask for it all to be recorded. It may also mean that more than one specialist organisation can support you.

Hostility based on a mistaken assumption still counts. Somebody may be targeted because another person wrongly believed them to be of a particular faith, nationality, sexuality or gender identity, or wrongly believed them to be disabled.

Say this plainly when you report — for example, "they shouted at me because they assumed I was …". You do not have to explain or correct anything about your own identity in order to be supported.

People are sometimes targeted because of who they live with, care for, support, are married to or are seen with. This includes carers, partners in mixed-heritage relationships, parents of disabled children, and friends who step in.

If this has happened to you, you can report it in your own right and ask for support in your own right. You do not have to describe yourself as a victim to get help.

Shouting, slurs, insults, threats, spitting, following somebody, blocking their way, banging on doors or windows, and menacing gestures can all be criminal offences depending on what happened and where.

Write down the exact words used if you can, even if they are upsetting to repeat. The specific language often matters to how the police record and investigate the incident.

Any assault should be reported to the police. Get medical attention where needed, and ask for injuries to be recorded and photographed. Keep any damaged clothing or items.

For damage to a home, vehicle, garden, business or place of worship, photograph it before repairs where it is safe to do so, and tell your landlord, housing provider or insurer as well as the police. Racist or abusive graffiti should be photographed and then reported for removal.

Where the same person or group targets somebody again and again, it may also be harassment or stalking. Repeated behaviour is often treated more seriously than a single incident, and each report builds the picture.

Report each incident, ask for a reference number each time, and say clearly that you believe they are connected.

Abuse sent by message, posted publicly, streamed, or aimed at somebody in a game or forum can be a criminal offence, and it can also breach the platform's own rules.

Where it is safe, and before you block or delete anything:

• save screenshots showing the date, time, account name and full message;
• keep the link to the post or profile;
• report the content to the platform;
• report credible threats and hate crime to the police.

Do not reply if replying could increase the risk to you. Blocking and muting can help, but please be aware that blocking does not permanently stop somebody making contact — people create new accounts, or use other people's.

Anonymous abuse is still reportable. Save everything you have — account names, links, timestamps, message contents — and report the pattern rather than trying to identify the person yourself.

Where an account is pretending to be you, report it to the platform after saving evidence, because content usually disappears when an account is removed. Do not respond to the account to try to draw the person out.

Abuse from a neighbour is often repeated, and it is harder to escape because it happens where you live. Report criminal behaviour to the police, and report it separately to your landlord, housing association or the council's anti-social behaviour team.

Keep a dated log of every incident and every report you make, including who you spoke to. Social landlords are expected to take reports of hate-related anti-social behaviour seriously, and a written record helps if you need to escalate.

Hostility at work can come from colleagues, managers, customers, clients or contractors. Report it to your manager, HR or a trade union representative, and ask what will be done and by when.

A workplace grievance and a police report are different processes, and sometimes both are appropriate — one looks at your employer's response, the other at whether an offence was committed. Discrimination and harassment at work may also be unlawful under equality law, and the Equality Advisory and Support Service can explain your options in England, Scotland and Wales.

Schools, colleges and universities have safeguarding and behaviour duties. Report it to the designated safeguarding lead, head of year, student services or the institution's reporting system, and ask for it to be recorded in writing.

Ask what support will be given to the person affected, not only what will happen to the person responsible. A school response does not replace calling the police where there is immediate danger or a suspected crime.

Report it to the police, and also to the operator or business — bus and rail companies, taxi licensing teams, shops, pubs, leisure centres and councils all have their own reporting routes, and many have CCTV that is kept for only a short time.

Ask the operator to preserve the CCTV, giving the date, time, route or location and vehicle number if you have it. Ask the police for a reference number and give it to the operator.

Whether you rent from a council, a housing association or a private landlord, you are entitled to raise repeated abuse, damage or intimidation and ask what action will be taken. Put it in writing and keep a copy.

Ask about practical safety measures such as repairs, door and window security, lighting, removal of graffiti, and — where the situation is serious — what the process is for discussing a move. Nobody can promise you a transfer, but you can ask how the process works.

• Get yourself and anybody with you to safety first.
• Call 999 if a crime is happening, somebody is hurt or there is a threat now.
• Get medical help if you need it, and ask for injuries to be recorded.
• Do not go back to confront the person responsible.
• If there are witnesses, ask whether they will give their contact details.
• Write down what happened as soon as you can, while it is fresh.
• Tell somebody you trust — you do not have to deal with it alone.

A clear record helps every service you contact. Where it is safe, note:

• the date and time;
• where it happened, including the online platform if relevant;
• what was said and done, in your own words;
• a description of the person or people involved;
• anybody who saw or heard it, and how to contact them;
• any police incident or crime reference number;
• the effect on you — sleep, travel, work, money, health, confidence.

Keep it somewhere private and safe, and keep a copy separately if you can.

Useful evidence can include dates, times and locations, descriptions, witness details, police reference numbers, photographs of damage or injuries, and copies or screenshots of messages.

Keep originals unedited, and make copies rather than cropping or annotating the original file. Never put yourself at additional risk to collect evidence — your safety comes first.

Please also understand that screenshots on their own do not prove a criminal offence, and gathering evidence does not guarantee that anybody will be arrested, charged or convicted. What evidence does is give the police and other organisations something concrete to work with.

You can report to the police by calling 999 in an emergency or 101 otherwise, online through your force's reporting service, in person at a police station, or through True Vision. In Scotland, use Police Scotland's own reporting routes.

You can also get support from Victim Support (or Victim Support Scotland, or Victim Support NI) whether or not you have reported anything to the police. Support does not depend on a police report.

If you saw or heard something, you can report it yourself. You do not need the permission of the person affected, and you do not need to know them.

Say what you saw, where and when, and describe the people involved. If you were able to check that the person affected was all right, or offered to be a witness, say that too.

You can report on behalf of a relative, friend, neighbour, tenant, pupil, patient or client. Third-party reporting centres exist for exactly this reason, and many organisations — including schools, GP surgeries, councils and charities — will help somebody report.

Wherever possible, involve the person affected in the decision and tell them what you are doing. If they lack capacity to decide, or a child is at risk, follow safeguarding routes and say so when you report.

Some routes, including True Vision, allow a report to be made without giving your name. Anonymous reports still contribute to how police understand what is happening in an area.

It is worth knowing the trade-off: anonymous reporting can limit an investigation, because the police cannot come back to you with follow-up questions, cannot take a statement and cannot keep you updated. If you are worried about your safety, say so when you report — that concern can be recorded and taken into account.

• what happened, in your own words;
• the date, time and location;
• why you believe it was connected to who you are;
• a description of the person or people involved, and any vehicle;
• whether anything was damaged or stolen, and whether anybody was injured;
• witnesses, CCTV, doorbell footage or dashcam footage you know of;
• any earlier incidents and reference numbers;
• how you would like to be contacted, and any adjustments you need.

It is fine to say you cannot remember something. Guessing is not helpful — say what you know.

The police will record the report and assess it, which may include speaking to witnesses, looking for CCTV, visiting the scene, and considering your safety. You should be given a reference number, and you can ask who is dealing with it and how you will be updated.

Outcomes vary widely. A case may be investigated and charged, dealt with in another way, or closed with no further action. Nobody can promise you a particular result, and this page cannot tell you what will happen in your case.

A decision that there was no criminal offence does not mean you were not believed, and it does not mean nothing can be done. Ask for it to be recorded as a hate incident, and ask what support and safety measures are available.

Other routes may still apply: your landlord, employer, school, transport operator or the platform involved, and — where the behaviour involved discrimination — equality law, which is a separate process from a criminal report. Sometimes both are relevant.

Fear of making things worse, of not being believed, of immigration consequences, of being outed, or of police contact itself stops many people reporting. Those fears are real and worth taking seriously.

Some things that can help:

• report through a specialist organisation or third-party reporting centre instead;
• ask somebody you trust, or an advocate, to be with you;
• ask for support from Victim Support before deciding whether to report;
• ask what would happen next before committing to anything;
• report anonymously, understanding the limits described above.

You can ask for an interpreter, a British Sign Language interpreter, a quiet room, extra time, written questions, easy-read information, or contact by text or email instead of telephone. Ask at the start, and ask for the adjustment to be recorded.

If a service does not respond to a reasonable request, an advocate can raise it for you, and our free letter support can help you put the request in writing.

A young person can tell a trusted adult — a parent or carer, a relative, a teacher, a tutor, the school or college safeguarding lead, the police, or another safe professional. They do not have to explain the law or prove anything first.

Childline is free, confidential and open 24 hours on 0800 1111, and also offers 1-2-1 online chat with a counsellor through its own website.

A school's response does not replace contacting the police where there is immediate danger or a suspected crime.

• Listen, and believe them.
• Do not tell them to ignore it, or that they must have misunderstood.
• Ask what they want, rather than deciding for them.
• Offer practical help — going with them to report, writing down dates, childcare, lifts.
• Do not confront the person responsible on their behalf.
• Help them find specialist support that fits their situation.
• Stay in touch afterwards, because the effects last far longer than the incident.

Being targeted for who you are affects people deeply. It is common to feel anxious, angry, exhausted, ashamed, hyper-alert in public, or reluctant to go out, work or travel as before. Some people withdraw from their community; others feel they must constantly explain themselves.

These are understandable responses, not weakness, and this page does not diagnose anything. If it is affecting daily life, talk to your GP. Samaritans is free day or night on 116 123, and you can text SHOUT to 85258 for free 24-hour text support. Neither replaces emergency care.

There is no single right plan. Depending on your circumstances, it may help to think about trusted people who know what is happening, emergency numbers saved and easy to reach, safer routes and times for travel, who is with you when you go out, security at home, what your workplace or school needs to know, and a code word that tells somebody to call the police.

A specialist organisation or advocate can help you build a plan that fits your life rather than a generic checklist.

If you were treated poorly, not kept informed, or feel the hate element was ignored, you can ask for the case to be reviewed, ask to speak to a supervisor, and make a formal complaint.

Complaints normally go to the force first. In England and Wales the Independent Office for Police Conduct explains the process; in Scotland it is the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner; in Northern Ireland it is the Police Ombudsman.

Sixpence Support UK does not provide legal advice. A solicitor can advise on criminal matters, harassment, housing, employment or discrimination claims, and legal aid may be available depending on the case, your income and where you live.

Citizens Advice and Law Centres offer free advice, and each UK nation has its own legal-aid scheme.

Somebody injured in a violent crime in England, Scotland or Wales may be able to apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Northern Ireland has its own separate scheme, administered by Compensation Services in the Department of Justice and explained on nidirect.

Time limits, eligibility rules and evidence requirements apply, and reporting the crime to the police is normally expected. Nobody can promise that an application will succeed, and this page cannot assess a claim — read the official rules or take advice before applying.

• Safety first — 999 if there is danger now.
• Get medical help if needed and ask for injuries to be recorded.
• Write down what happened as soon as you safely can.
• Save messages, photographs and links before blocking or deleting.
• Report to the police, and ask for a reference number.
• Ask for any communication or accessibility support you need.
• Report separately to the landlord, school, employer, operator or platform.
• Contact a specialist organisation for support, whether or not you reported.
• Ask about safety measures at home and on your journeys.
• Keep copies of every report, letter and reference number together.
• Look after yourself, and tell somebody you trust how you are.

The cards further down this page list the police reporting routes for each UK nation, victim services and specialist organisations, with the numbers and hours each organisation publishes on its own current website.

Specialist organisations support people and record incidents. They do not replace the emergency services — call 999 when somebody is in immediate danger.