There are many commonly-held myths and misconceptions around hate crime and hate incidents. These can lead to an increased prevalence of these instances, poor support for victim/ survivors, and/ or incorrect outcomes in formal reporting procedures.
Here are some common myths and misconceptions, and the truths to provide the correct information. See our Twitter feed (@UniOfLeics_ST) for more. Email us on standingtogether@le.ac.uk if you have any more you'd like us to include.
Myth: It happens too often to report each one
Myth: Online abuse is not as serious as face-to-face abuse
Myth: It's just "banter" or people being too sensitive
Fact: Each and every hate incident and hate crime is one too many. The Police want to hear every time you are a victim. Each offence will be logged and will receive a police response
Fact: Hate crimes are not just incidents of racial intolerance, but also include religious discrimination, homophobic and transphobic abuse, disability hate crime and more recently, crimes against older people
Fact: Although hate crimes seem to be on the rise, many hate crimes go unreported to the police
The University of Leicester is committed to protecting freedom of speech within the law. This means students, staff and visitors can share and discuss ideas, even where others may disagree.
But if you feel you have been, harassed or discriminated against, this is not ok and may be against the law. We are here to listen and support you.
You can disclose this to us via our Report and Support tool and we can provide you with support.