Why do hate crimes happen?
• some people don’t have all the facts – they react to the media, myths and misunderstandings • some people don’t realise that they cause harm and distress to people by their actions • some people carry out hate crimes because their friends tell them to or the people around them think it’s a good idea • some people do it because they are scared of people they think are different to them Who does hate crime happen to? They can happen to anyone. Hate crimes can be targeted at people because of their race, colour, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or disability. They can also be targeted at people who are believed to be of a particular race, colour, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or disability – and also anyone who associates with people who identify with any of these groups. Hate crimes can be targeted at individuals, families and groups of people. Why should we report hate crimes? Because we can try and stop hate crime from happening. Som