National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024: A person-centred way to stop hate

Published: Friday, October 18th, 2024


This is a blog by our Deputy CEO, Kate Aldous. 

 

Hate crime is under-reported. Only half of hate crimes are reported to police, according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales. When it is, satisfaction with the response is low. 

Restorative Justice is a different response. It facilitates safe and supported communication between the harmed and harmer. In instances of hate crime, this can be very powerful. It brings understanding, healing and closure to those affected, and can transform the attitudes and behaviour of the harmer. Hate crime has a high emotional impact on those affected, and many say “I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else”; Restorative Justice is one of the few interventions that can change the heart and mind of the harmer, making it less likely that they repeat the harm. 

Zaynab Asghar from Nottingham Muslim Women’s Network talks about how she responded to Islamophobia following training in restorative practice. “Other people’s hate is driven by ignorance, it might be driven by insecurity. Restorative Justice allows us to have a conversation with people on a human level,” she says.

Those harmed by crime tell us the criminal justice system can be re-traumatising, because they feel helpless and unheard. 

In contrast, Restorative Justice puts the harmed person at the centre of the process, restoring their agency and allowing them to tell their story, including to the person responsible for the harm. This is powerful for both parties – hearing the impact of their actions can be transformational for the harmer, and witnessing the impact can give the harmed person a sense that they have brought about positive change from a negative incident. And it doesn’t have to be face to face – a mistaken belief that can be off-putting for those affected by hate crime. There are a range of creative interventions that can be used, guided by the wishes of the harmed person. 

At a time when we are seeing a rise in hate crime, Restorative Justice is more important than ever. But take-up is low, especially amongst those who do not expect fair treatment from the police, such as ethnic minorities, especially young Black men, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people, and the LGBTQ+ community, as evidenced in the Lammy and Casey Reviews. Those affected by hate crime are less likely to be offered Restorative Justice than victims of other crimes, because police, victim services and organisations working to address hate crime aren’t familiar with it, or wrongly consider it to be unsuitable for hate crime.  

Why me? campaigns to increase awareness of the powerful impact of Restorative Justice for hate crime. We have carried out work developing good practice and seeking to understand and address obstacles to using Restorative Justice for interfaith hate; hate crimes against LGBTQ+ communities; speakers of English as an additional language; and young people, especially those from the global majority.

Restorative Justice has a vital role to play in addressing rising divisions and building cohesive communities. Help us to make this a reality by spreading this message! 

To find out more please contact kate.aldous@why-me.org.

 

© 2024 Why me? Charity no. 1137123. Company no. 6992709.