Hate Crime
Hate crime is behaviour which is both criminal and rooted in prejudice. It can be verbal or physical.
We know that hate negatively impacts on people, communities and on wider society. For those affected, the damage can have a long lasting effect.
We recorded 5,640 hate crimes in 2021-22 and we have also seen a rise in hate crimes committed against our officers.
Current hate crime laws cover any existing offence motivated by prejudice relating to race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender identity. Inciting racial hatred and racially motivated harassment are existing standalone hate crime offences.
Find out more about different types of hate crime.
Police Scotland is committed to supporting Scotland’s communities in line with our values of integrity, fairness, respect and upholding human rights.
In our new Don’t Feed Hate campaign we talk about the Hate Monster. It’s that feeling some people get when they are angry and frustrated and then try to make themselves feel better by lashing out at others, because they think they are different or lesser in some way. This can lead to committing a hate crime.
The Hate Monster doesn’t respect you, but we do. Find out more about the Hate Crime campaign.
We urge anyone who has experienced or witnessed hate to report it. Find out more about the different ways you can make a report.