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Hate Crime Blog

A research project commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (Scotland)
Start date: 19th October 2009 Report published: 15th March 2011

Principal Investigators: Paul Iganski and David Smith (Lancaster University, UK)
Research team: Liz Dixon (London Probation Service, UK), Vicky Kielinger (Metropolitan Police Service, UK), Gail Mason (University of Sydney, Australia), Jack McDevitt (Northeastern University, Boston, US), Barbara Perry (University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Canada) and Andy Stelman (formerly Merseyside Probation Trust, UK)

EXIT - Sweden (Updated 22nd June 2011)

Exit is a project within the non-profit organisation Fryshuset. Their aim is to help and provide support to those who wish to leave nationalistic/racist/nazi oriented groups and movements.

They provide hands-on support for persons wanting to leave a neo nazi or racist environment by cooperating with various housing corporations, the police, social services, legal system and also with the client's own family and friends.

Read more...

See also: THE WAY OUT. A handbook for understanding and responding to extreme movements.

Contact: exit@fryshuset.se

Can you hear the bigots sing? (Updated 7th June 2011)

'Can you hear the bigots sing?' is a recently established project aimed at tackling sectarianism, initially produced for work with young offenders in HMP Polmont, Scotland, in 2009.

A pilot project with adult offenders at HMP Addiewell and HMP Barlinnie took place in 2009 and 2010 and, following the successful pilot, a further programme was delivered up to the end of March 2011 with additional participants in those prisons and in three other prisons in the West of Scotland (HMP Glenochil, HMP Greenock, and HMP Kilmarnock).

The funding for both the pilot and the programme up to March 2011 was provided by the Scottish Government who have now provided further funding enabling the programme to continue until the end of March 2012.

The project is delivered by the Iona Community, a Christian ecumenical organisation. As part of the project the Iona Community buys in a workshop and coaching session for participants from the Old Firm Alliance - a partnership of Celtic and Rangers football clubs, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life, and Glasgow Community Safety Services.

Working with groups of up to 12 prisoners who participate voluntarily, and not all with convictions for sectarian offences, the project aims to change sectarian attitudes and other forms of prejudice in seven 2-hour sessions delivered across four weeks. The sessions employ group discussions, aided by the use of films and role play to prompt discussion.

Overall, the course aims to provide learning as well as a positive change in attitude, producing an ability to tolerate diversity and promote citizenship.

Outcomes are measured by a questionnaire assessment of participants' attitudes at the beginning, during, and at the end of the course. In the pilot projects, 63% of participants in HMP Addiewell showed more positive attitudes related to sectarianism, and 58% in HMP Barlinnie.

An ongoing evaluation is recorded at the end of each group session by the group facilitator. The group evaluation records also contribute to an independent external evaluation of the project being carried out by PS Enterprises, Project Scotland. The independent evaluation will also incorporate the views of group participants.

The evaluation report, to be submitted to the Scottish Government, is scheduled for completion at the end of the project, and will inform decisions about extension of the work among the prison population in Scotland.

Contact: Laura McAleese, Youth Project Co-ordinator, The Iona Community Youth Department. Email: Laura@iona.org.uk

See also: Lucy Adams 'Tackling bigotry behind bars', Herald Scotland, 15th March 2010.

What do official data tell us about hate crime offenders?

OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) suggests that data collection about the perpetrators of hate crimes is “important for criminal intelligence and the purposes of monitoring and surveillance” and “for targeting resources and outreach to potential/actual perpetrators.” According to the ODIHR such data also enable “States and international organizations to tailor appropriate prevention campaigns, as well as education and training on hate crimes.”*

But only very limited data are publicly available. Click-on the flags below to see what published official data tell us about hate crime offenders in different countries.

* OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (2009) Combating Hate Crimes in the OSCE Region, Warsaw: ODIHR, page 35.