Types of hate crime
There are three main types of hate crime: physical assault, verbal abuse and incitement to hatred.
Physical assault
Physical assault is when a person or group of people physically attacks a person, with or without a weapon.
This can include:
- Punching
- Kicking
- Throwing objects
- Pushing
- Physically restraining
Physical assault of any kind is an offence and should be reported to the police.
Verbal abuse
Verbal abuse is a type of emotional abuse. It is when a person or a group of people use their words to assault, ridicule, dominate, degrade and/or manipulate another person.
This can include:
- Blaming
- Condescension
- Manipulation
- Name-calling
- Threats
Incitement to hatred
The offence of incitement to hatred occurs when someone acts in a way that is threatening and intended to stir up hatred. This may be in words, pictures, videos, music and information posted on websites.
This can include:
- Messages calling for violence against a specific person or group
- Web pages that show pictures, videos or descriptions of violence against anyone due to their perceived differences
- Chat forums where people ask other people to commit hate crimes against a specific person or group
- Street preachers or public speakers that use threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to stir up hatred