A hate crime is any behaviour that is motivated by hatred of another person simply because they belong to a specific ethnic, religious or cultural group. It can also relate to gender, disability, age and/or sexuality. The Crime and Disorder act (1998) makes it a criminal offence to stir up or incite hatred against any group of persons in Great Britain. This includes behaviour or material (verbal, visual or written) which may be considered threatening, abusive or insulting.

If you discover any UK hosted internet content which appears to incite or stir up hatred against particular groups or individuals you should report this to the http://www.iwf.org.uk/ If you wish to report a hate-related incident to the police via the internet go to Police Online If you want to report a hate incident to a non-police government agency go to IBWF Or if you have been a victim of hate-crime you can get help here Victim Support There are also links to more information about prejudice and hate at the bottom of this page.

Websites and newsgroups, chat-rooms and forums reflect the beliefs of those who create and use them. This is a problem when these beliefs are discriminatory, prejudiced, or tries to incite hatred against particular groups of people. Different online formats may be used as a way of spreading prejudiced beliefs, conducting abusive activities or expressing offensive attitudes. These can all have a negative effect on young people. This can include racist, homophobic or sexist content, or material designed to stir up hatred between people of different faiths.

Hate related content can come in different forms and is mostly generated by other internet users and groups. It can represent intolerant political (e.g. neo-Nazi), religious (e.g. anti-Jewish, Moslem or Christian) or personal (e.g. anti-gay) attitudes alongside a range of other extreme viewpoints (e.g. survivalist or conspiracy groups.) Sometimes it is presented as the real ‘truth’ or ‘facts’ about a target-group, whilst using incorrect or misleading information to encourage hostility towards them. Sometimes it is more open, simply saying that it is ok to be hostile or prejudiced because of something unacceptable or threatening about the target-group. Sometimes it is simply direct abuse aimed at individuals in online spaces.

This type of content may encourage, reinforce or make prejudiced beliefs seem acceptable. Exposure to such material can be problematic for young people as it may lead to prejudiced behaviour and negative attitudes or activities against others. Young people may not always be aware of the prejudiced or hostile intent behind some types of online material and therefore be vulnerable to negative influence on their own attitudes and behaviours. They may not always realise that certain types of material or activity are inappropriate, unacceptable or even against the law. Another problem is that young people may find themselves in a situation where they are the target of hostility, offensive material or behaviour because of a personal characteristic (skin-colour, religion, culture, sexuality etc.) Incidents such as these, whether online, at school or in the community, are unacceptable and can have serious emotional and physical consequences for the victim. It is important to remember that anything which encourages or incites violence or hatred against others is a form of hate crime and should be reported.

Talk through the issues raised above with your children. Even if it you find it difficult to bring up the subject, you can use natural opportunities (e.g., relevant television programs or newspaper articles), or visit websites that cover the area like those listed at the bottom of this page. Education has a key role to play in reducing prejudice and hate crime, and in learning to value diversity and the people around us. That is why it is important that children have a good understanding of why hate-related content and behaviour is a problem. Let them know that you feel comfortable discussing subjects like prejudice and discrimination, why such attitudes and behaviour are a problem and what can be done about it. Let them know that if they experience online prejudice, hate or abuse as a victim or observer, that there are things that can be done. Let them know that it is unacceptable to take part in this kind of behaviour themselves and educate them about the consequences of such behaviour for the victims. Given that young people today are interacting online, creating websites and blogs and publishing their own opinions on all kinds of things, it is important that you are aware of, and discuss, issues of tolerance, respect for others and responsible behaviour on the internet and in everyday life.

Remember too that it is only a very small minority of people who think or act this way. Most things on the internet are positive, and a good way of finding out and doing things to help combat prejudice and hate crime. There are lots of websites where your children can learn more about the subject, or even join clubs and societies that are against it. In chat-rooms and blog-spaces they can get in touch with people from different backgrounds, lifestyles and cultures to find out about their way of life. The internet is a great way of bringing people together as long as children know how to use it carefully and safely, and are aware of these potential problems and what they can do about them. If you would like to know more about this subject visit:
Home Office
Home Office, Equality
Race Relations
Commission for racial equality"
Independent information service
Crime information
Direct gov info for young
American anti hate site
Gay and homophobic hate crime site
Also most regional police forces and counties in Great Britain have websites devoted to issues surrounding prejudice and hate crime. If you wish to know more about your own area, these are a good place to start

For those of you want to report something now – go straight to our report abuse page. Occasionally when using the internet or a mobile phone you may see, receive or experience something which causes you concern. You might, for instance, receive an e-mail which is offensive or abusive. You may experience harassment online, spam advertising, or content you find offensive such as pornography, or pro-anorexia sites. Alternatively you may think you have been the victim of a crime such as identity theft or online fraud. In such situations it is important to know to whom you can report issues. This section introduces you to some of the main organisations who offer help and advice on internet safety issues.