I think I have experienced Hate Crime. What should I do?

Hate Incidents and crimes often go unreported, which means that it is hard for organisations or agencies such as the police to tackle them, including by building up a picture of where problems are occurring.  This is why it is encouraged to report even apparently minor issues. 

If you’ve experienced hate crime, remember that it’s not your fault. Keep a note of all incidents related to the hate crime, including times, dates and details of what happened 

 Think about whether you are safe.
 If you or others are seriously hurt or in immediate physical danger you can call the police or ambulance on 999.  This includes if you think you, or someone else, may be about to attempt suicide. 

If you are on a University campus, after calling 999 you may wish to contact the University Security Service (emergencies: 0161 295 3333) for additional support and to help the emergency services reach you quickly. 

Get support from a friend or family member. Talking things through with someone you trust can sometimes help the immediate situation and help you think through what, if anything, you want to do.  If you aren’t ready to talk yet, writing things down can also help. 

Consider talking to a staff member in your accommodation, or a member of academic or professional staff in your School.  They might not be able to fix the problem immediately, but they can listen and might be able to help. 

Talk to the askUS Enquiries team about your options.
 

Think about whether (depending on the circumstances) you could talk to the person who is doing it.  It is possible that they haven’t really thought about the impact this is having on you or faced up to the fact that what they are doing is inappropriate. Just having this conversation can feel really hard, and it’s OK to be nervous – you could put it in writing or talk through with someone what you might say. To keep things neutral try “I don’t know if you realise, but when you [do this behaviour] I feel [how you feel about it] and I’d like you to stop doing it”. Only do this if it is safe to do so. Remember, sometimes people can behave in unexpected ways and can be defensive when they feel they are being challenged,  so make sure you are in a safe place with other people if you do decide you want to challenge someone's language or behaviour. 
 

The University’s Counselling & Wellbeing Service provides a listening ear and can also support you if you want to know what next steps might be available for you. Their services are completely confidential. This client confidentiality will only be broken if the counsellors think there is a risk to you or someone else, or if there is a legal duty.  How to contact Counselling & Wellbeing.
 

You can also access advice and guidance from your G.P. surgery (you may be registered with the University Medical Centre or otherwise you can look up your G.P.’s information here if you can’t remember).  
 

Salford University Students’ Union Student Advice Centre also provide independent advice and support on a range of issues. 
 

We encourage you to tell someone about what’s happening, so that there is a better chance to support you and prevent things like this happening in future.  You have a range of options to report: 
 

You can use this form to let the University know and access support.  In the case of a Hate Incident or Hate Crime, you can also ask us to report it to the police on your behalf.  You can report anonymously if you choose to, although this will limit the actions we can take, it’s still helpful to have the information. 
 

You can also: 

 Harassment, stalking, and criminal behaviour targeted at you because of a protected characteristic are all illegal.  Even apparently minor actions if they are unwanted, and repeated, can be the subject of legal action.  You can contact the police by: 

By reporting hate crimes a person may be able to prevent these incidents happening to somebody else.