Report hate crime and abuse to keep our communities safe | Tenant news

Everyone has the right to live safely and without fear of abuse or discrimination, however, hate crime and abuse can happen and it’s important to tell someone if it does.

Reporting helps keep victims safe, protects the community, and makes sure the people responsible are held to account.

What is it?

Hate crime is any crime caused by prejudice. This could be because of a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, or other protected characteristics.

Hate crime or abuse can take many forms. It might be a physical attack, verbal abuse, online harassment, damage to property, emotional harm, sexual abuse, or financial exploitation.

Abuse can happen at home, at work, in public, or online. Spotting the signs is the first step to stopping it and getting help.

What is reasonable behaviour?

Habinteg has a Reasonable Behaviour Policy that sets out how tenants, their families, visitors, staff, and contractors should treat each other.

It makes clear that harassment, threats, or abuse in any form including verbal, physical, online or in person, will not be tolerated.

This includes behaviour motivated by someone’s race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or other personal characteristics. Following this policy helps prevent hate crime and keeps everyone safe.

The policy applies to all types of contact, including phone calls, emails, face-to-face meetings, home visits, and social media.

It makes clear that tenants have a right to be heard and treated fairly, while Habinteg has a duty to protect its staff and contractors.

Behaviour is considered unacceptable if it harasses, threatens, or causes distress to staff, contractors, or other tenants. Examples include:

• Threats or physical violence
• Using offensive or abusive language
• Repeated or excessive demands for information
• Obsessive focus on a particular staff member
• Rude or offensive comments that insult or provoke others.

Reporting hate crime 

Some people do not report hate crime or abuse because they might feel scared, embarrassed or unsure if anyone will take them seriously.

Reporting helps the police and other authorities understand what is happening in the community so they can act quickly and prevent further harm.

It also shows that hate and abuse are not acceptable. Taking action supports victims and helps make the whole community safer.

Donna Holmes, Habinteg’s Head of Housing, explains how we handle reports: “Habinteg takes allegations of Hate Crime very seriously, and our approach is set out in our ASB and Hate Crime Policy,” Donna said.

“Hate Crime, which is covered by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, is handled by our National ASB Officer. They work with the Police and other agencies to support victims and make sure the right action is taken.”

There are different ways to report incidents safely. You can:

• Report it to your Neighbourhood Team, our National ASB Officer, or by using the ASB report form on our website.
• Call the police on 101 for non-emergencies or 999 in an emergency
• Report online through official police websites
• Speak to local support organisations or other charities that help victims of hate crime.
• Tell a trusted friend or family member who can help you report it.

When reporting, try to give as much information as possible, such as what happened, when and where it happened, and any details about the person responsible. Even small details can help the authorities act.

Other available support

If you experience or witness hate crime or abuse, do not stay silent. Reporting hate crime or abuse allows victims to get help.

Support can include counselling, legal advice, or safety planning. Organisations such as Victim Support offer free and confidential help for anyone affected.

Remember, taking action protects yourself and others. You are not alone, and support is available.

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For more information, visit www.habinteg.org.uk/asb.