Hate crime and prejudice-based behaviours: Why hate crime is under-reported

It is widely understood that hate crime is under-reported. During engagement for Scotland’s Hate Crime Strategy, lived experience communities reflected on real and perceived barriers to reporting, including:

•  a perception it won’t be treated seriously or that the event wasn't "serious enough"

• fear that the individual won't be believed

• sharing personal details

• having to repeat traumatic experiences

• language or accessibility barriers

• fear of being outed

• fear of escalation

One from a disabled person from the Glasgow Disability Alliance Engagement in October 2022 stated: 

“The way it impacted my health is, you get it so much that you just don’t want to live no more.”

Another young person, quoted from the LGBT Youth Report, in April 2022 stated:

“I don’t feel I would be believed, and even if I was it’s really hard to actually get any action taken against someone, especially when you have no proof. The process can be horrific for victims, and I cannot handle that.”

The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) estimates that 29% of all property and violent crime was not reported to the Police, in 2021 to 2022.

In education, it is worth considering the potential barriers young people may face when reporting hate crime as well, which may be similar.