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Hate Crime
Safer

Hate Hurts. New National Anti-Hate Crime Campaign Launches Today

New national campaign tackling hate crime in Scotland launched urging those who witness a hate crime to report it.

Scotland’s hate crime law is in place to protect those that need it. The law recognises hate crimes as motivated by prejudice based on disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or variations in sex characteristics.

From 1 April 2024, the hate crime law is changing in Scotland. Age will be added to the above list of characteristics and the existing offence of stirring up of racial hatred will be extended to cover all other characteristics.

Read the Scottish Government new hate crime laws news story.

Hate crime has a hugely damaging effect on victims, their families and communities and we all must play our part to challenge it.

The Scottish Government is launching the Hate Hurts campaign, supported by Police Scotland, to show the impact of hate crime on victims and encourage those who have witnessed a hate crime to report it.

Importantly, the campaign was informed by lived experience. Hate crime can significantly alter how people live their lives, including fears around leaving their home and avoiding public places where they no longer feel safe. No one should be made to feel this way.

Watch the Hate Hurts TV Ad on YouTube. 

Visit the safer.scot website to find out more about the law in Scotland, support organisations available and the ways to report a hate crime. 

Toolkit

A toolkit has been developed to help you communicate the campaign messages to your audiences and contains the following:

View and download all campaign assets via the SG Campaign Resource Centre here.

How You Can Help

  • Please re-share the Hate Hurts campaign content on the Safer Scotland Facebook page via your social channels
  • Customise your communications using relevant assets from our Hate Hurts Stakeholder Toolkit
  • Upload content to your website and newsletters
  • Print and display posters at relevant locations

We hope you find these communication tools useful. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.