National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2020 takes place from 10-17 October 2020. It aims to bring people together to stand in solidarity with those affected by hate crime and support those who need ongoing support.
We recently commissioned an Iriss Insight titled, Working with people who commit hate crime, which was authored by Rania Hamad, University of Edinburgh. Key points include:
- Criminal Justice Social Work (CJSW) practitioners work on a daily basis with people convicted of hate crime and/or display prejudice, but there is a lack of specific Scottish research on effective practice in this area.
- From the existing research, hate crime interventions are best undertaken one-to-one, incorporating cultural/diversity awareness, anger/emotion management, hate crime impact and restorative justice.
- People convicted of hate crime frequently experience adverse circumstances and may have unacknowledged shame, anger, and feelings of threat and loss.
- Practitioners should develop relationships with people who commit hate offences characterised by acceptance, respect, and empathy, without judgement or collusion. This supports positive change, balanced with the responsibility for protecting the public from further harm.
In 2017, Rania spoke to us about the causes, motivations and effective interventions for hate crime. The research indicated that the trauma experienced by victims of hate crime can be more enduring and harmful than non-hate related offending and that it has detrimental effects on communities, as well as individuals. Other Iriss.fm episodes on the topic of hate crime.
Our Evidence Search and Summary Service also produced a summary of evidence on disability hate crime reporting. It explores questions around what interventions have been effective in increasing reporting of hate crimes motivated by perceptions of learning disabilities and mental health problems, what interventions have been effective in supporting people through the process of reporting disability hate crimes, and potential areas of unmet need.
