Lest we forget the harms of hate – reflections of a hate crime researcher
The broad aims of the Leicester Hate Crime Project were to examine people’s experiences of hate, prejudice and targeted hostility; to understand the physical and emotional harms suffered by individuals and their families; and to identify ways of improving the quality of support available to victims. The study used a deliberately broad and inclusive definition of hate crime in order to capture the experiences of anyone, from any background, who felt that they had been victimised specifically because of their identity or perceived ‘difference’. This framework enabled us to expand upon the range of victim groups and experiences typically covered within conventional studies of hate crime.