‘Community fear and harassment’: learning difficulties and hate crime incidents in the north-east of England

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between impairment, disabling barriers and risk factors relating to hate crime incidents. The study analyses quantitative data collected in 2011–2012 where there were 81 incidents of disability hate crime reported in the Tyne and Wear area of England. The research discovered that in the Tyne and Wear region people with learning difficulties have a greater likelihood of experiencing hate crime than do people with other impairments. Although there was no significant difference between impairment and types of hate crime incidents recorded (i.e. verbal abuse/harassment, violence and criminal damage), there were distinct differences between police and victim support responses to victims which correlated to impairment categories (p ≤ 0.05). The study concludes by suggesting that owing to specific disabling barriers experienced by people with learning difficulties, this group is at increased risk of being victimised and is less likely to receive support from criminal justice agencies.

Keywords:

• hate crime
• learning difficulties
• disabling barriers
• police
• victim support
• quantitative study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. This study applies the term learning difficulties/disabilities as it appears in the 2013 Hate Crime (People with Learning Difficulties and Learning Disabilities) Bill. Rather than use the term ‘learning difficulties/disabilities’ throughout this paper, it has been shortened to that of ‘learning difficulties’. This is to stop any confusion as ‘disability’ refers to structural discrimination.

2. This does not include conditions such as dyslexia.

3. ARCH has now changed its recording system.