The survey examined students' knowledge and understanding of hate crimes, their awareness of current initiatives on campus, and their experiences of a variety of anti-social behaviour and crime, including verbal abuse or threats of violence; physical mistreatment; vandalism or property damage; burglary, robbery, or theft; distribution or display of abusive, threatening, or insulting material; and abusive, threatening, or insulting written communication intended to distress or harass.
The first UK-wide student-specific research on hate crime, our survey found that nearly 1 in 6 respondents experienced at least one form of hate incident while studying at their current institution. Moreover, compared to victims of non-prejudiced antisocial behaviour and crime, those who experienced hate-related incidents were more likely to be repeatedly victimised as well as suffer greater impact – and yet, by and large these cases went unreported and the student affected unsupported.
Whilst the project is ongoing, this interim report serves to highlight key findings from the survey; a more extensive report will be available in August 2011. It is hoped this research will inform policy so we can work to reduce social tolerance of hate incidents, promote prevention and early intervention, and support and educate students.
Click here to download the report