Any form of hate crime is never okay. We condemn unacceptable behaviour, including all forms of harassment under the Equality Act 2010 and hate crime under the law. Bullying, harassment and hate crime are contrary to the Equality Act 2010 and the GSA's Dignity and Respect at Work and Study Policy.
If you know someone who has been affected by hate crime, you are not alone, support is available.
What is hate crime?
Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person’s disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity.
Examples of hate crime include, but are not limited to:
- physical assault
- verbal abuse, threats or name calling
- incitement to hatred, when someone acts in a way that is threatening and intended to stir up hated. This could be in words, pictures, videos, music and includes information on websites.
What can you do?
Think
- Are they in immediate danger? If they are in immediate danger or seriously injured, you can call 999 (or 112 from a mobile)
- Find a safe space. If an incident has just happened try and find somewhere they feel safe.
- What is hate crime? It might be useful to think about what hate crime is and how some of the behaviours are described.
Talk - If someone you know has been affected, you can encourage them to seek support. Alternatively you make an anonymous disclosure which will allow us to investigate if there are multiple instances in one area.
- Are they in immediate danger? If they are in immediate danger or seriously injured, you can call 999 (or 112 from a mobile)
- Find a safe space. If an incident has just happened try and find somewhere they feel safe.
- What is hate crime? It might be useful to think about what hate crime is and how some of the behaviours are described.
Talk - If someone you know has been affected, you can encourage them to seek support. Alternatively you make an anonymous disclosure which will allow us to investigate if there are multiple instances in one area.
Help them report - If they want to, and you feel able to, you can help them report the incident or incidents via GSA’s Report and Support tool.
GSA Procedure. If they choose to make a formal complaint to the GSA about a student or member of staff there are procedures which set out the steps they will need to follow.
There will be limits to GSA's ability to progress reports that involve criminal activity and we would always encourage and support Police involvement.
Seek Support - There are a number of specialist organisations that provide specialist support, including counselling for those affected by hate crime. You could encourage your colleague to reach out to such support.
- https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/hate-crime/
- https://www.supportline.org.uk/
- https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/
- http://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/
- https://www.stophateuk.org/
Citizens Advice provides some useful information on the different types of harassment and hate crime people may experience including disability hate crime, racist and religious hate crime, sexual harassment, and sexual orientation and transgender identity hate crime.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Take care of yourself. It’s important that you take care of yourself. If you’ve heard something distressing or if something is troubling you, the GSA's Counselling Service offers confidential help to students. Register online via: https://live.uniticms.com/gsamhw/ to request a counselling appointment.
If you are in immediate danger or are seriously injured, please call 999 (or 112 from a mobile).
If you need immediate support or feel in crisis, we have listed several emergency services contact details on GSA's external website that you may find helpful.
Students can access information on GSA's student services here
Staff can access information on GSA staff services here
Students and staff can also access support through: Papyrus Hopeline247 - Prevention of young suicide. This is a 24/7 service for young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, as well as for anyone who is concerned that a young person could be thinking about suicide. Call 0800 068 41 41, text 07860039967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org to stay safe or to keep someone safe from suicide.