Hate incidents and hate crime

We are committed to promoting a safe, supportive and inclusive campus environment for every member of our community. Hate incidents and hate crime are taken seriously.

On this page you will find details of how you can report a hate incident or hate crime, including through our Report + Support website, and how you can receive support from our specialist teams.

‘Hate incidents’ and ‘hate crimes’ are terms used to describe acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are.  They are motivated by hostility or prejudice based on:

• disability
• race
• religion
• transgender identity, or sexual orientation.

This can be an incident against a person or against property and includes materials posted online.  Greater Manchester Police now recognises alternative sub-culture hate incidents. These are incidents based on someone’s appearance and include Goths, Emos, Punks and other similar groups. This means they will also record any such incidents as a hate incident.
 

Hate Incidents
Some examples of hate incidents include:

• verbal abuse like name-calling and offensive jokes 
• harassment 
• bullying or intimidation by children, adults, neighbours or strangers 
• physical attacks such as hitting, punching, pushing, spitting 
• threats of violence 
• arson 
• throwing rubbish into a garden   | 
• hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages, hate mail 
• online abuse, for example on Facebook or Twitter 
• displaying or circulating discriminatory literature or posters 
• harm or damage to things such as your home, pet, or vehicle 
• graffiti
• malicious complaints, for example over parking, smells or noise  

Hate Crime
When hate incidents become criminal offences they are known as hate crimes.  A criminal offence is something that breaks the law.  Some examples of hate crimes include:

• assaults
• criminal damage
• sexual assault 
• burglary 
• hate mail 
• harassment 
• murder 
• theft 
• fraud
• harassment

Hate crime can be reported to the Police. Speaking to the Police is your choice, you can still access support if this isn’t the option you want to take at the moment.

There are several ways to report an incident:

• Call 999 if it is an emergency or you are in danger. If the situation is a non-emergency, you can report a hate crime via True Vision.
• Our Report + Support website allows you to report an incident online to the University, and you can choose to report anonymously if you wish. Our Student Services team monitor incident reports and will be in contact within one working day to discuss the incident and offer you support.
• You can also read further guidance on reporting a hate incident and our procedure for students on disclosing and reporting incidents of sexual violence, misconduct and harassment. 

If you choose to report an incident via Report + Support, you can choose two options:

• You have the option to report anonymously. If you do submit an anonymous report, we will not be able to contact you or take further action. However, it does mean that the University has a record of the incident, and we can use anonymous reports to identify trends or patterns of incidents which we may be able to address. 
• You can also choose to leave your contact details with your report and ask to speak with an adviser. If you choose this option, a member of our Student Welfare team will contact you and offer support. They can also refer you to specialist support services if you require further help.

Please note that speaking with an advisor does not mean that you are making a formal complaint to the University. The advisor will talk to you about how to make a complaint, and then you can decide what you’d like to do next. 

University support services

• Student Welfare team will respond to your report and offer advice.
• Student Union Advice Centre also have trained advisors who can provide support.
• Counselling, Mental Health and Wellbeing Service are available if you need wellbeing support.

External sources of support

• Anthony Walker Foundation provide education and support services around racial hate crime - 0151 237 3974.
• GALOP offer support for LGBT+ individuals who have experienced hate crime, sexual abuse, and domestic abuse - 0800 999 5428.
• Stop Hate UK have a 24 hour helpline and app.

Reporting an incident to our team doesn’t instigate the start of formal complaint. Our team will guide you through your options and support you if you decide to make a formal complaint to the University.

The Student Code of Conduct sets out the standard of conduct the University expects of its students so that everyone can undertake their studies in a supportive and non-threatening environment. Any behaviour that affects the safety or well-being of students or staff is regarded as misconduct. 

If you feel a student has breached the Student Code of Conduct, you can make a formal complaint via the Student Complaints Procedure.