Hate Crime

Module code: CR3010

Hate crimes are acts of violence and intimidation which are motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person’s identity. These crimes affect a broad range of people who are targeted specifically because of their actual or perceived race, faith, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other feature that marks them out as ‘different’ in the eyes of the perpetrator.

Hate crimes are far more prevalent than official figures suggest and have damaging physical and emotional consequences for victims, their families and wider communities.

In this module you will examine the different forms that hate crimes can take and the impact of these crimes upon victims and their communities. You will learn about the scope of current hate crime laws within England and Wales and consider the effectiveness of police and other criminal justice responses. We will also consider the reasons why perpetrators commit hate offences and debates surrounding the use of both enhanced prison sentences and alternative modes of intervention.

Throughout the module we will draw from the very latest developments in research and policy to ensure that you have a full understanding of the various issues relating to hate crime and its causes.

Topics covered

• Different forms that hate offences can take.
• Different groups of people who are victims of hate crime.
• Motivations that underpin hate crime offending.
• Effectiveness of police and other agency responses to hate crime.
• Nature, extent and impact of hate crime upon victims and wider communities.