What is hate crime? It might be useful to think about what hate crime is and how some of the behaviours are described.

Hate crimes hurt individuals and communities, and reporting them allows the University and the police to better understand and deal with what is happening.  

Hate incidents and hate crime are acts of violence or hostility against a person or property that is motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person due to a particular characteristic. This could be a disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender identity or an alternative sub-culture hate crime. A victim does not have to be a member of the group at which the hostility is targeted. In fact, anyone could be a victim of a hate crime.

For more information, please download the OPCC (Office for Police and Crime Commissioner)'s guide for victims and witnesses of Hate Crime.

Are you in immediate danger? If you are in immediate danger or seriously injured, you can contact the emergency services on 999 (or 112 from a mobile phone) and the University’s Security Team (if you are on campus).  

Find a safe space.  If an incident has just happened, try and find somewhere you feel safe. If this isn't possible and you are fearful or in danger you can call emergency services on 999. If you are on campus and need support from campus security you can call them on 02380 593311. 

Talk to a friend. Talking things through with someone you trust can sometimes help. 

Text support.  If you feel you need to talk to someone immediately you can contact Shout, a free 24/7 text service for anyone struggling to cope. Text 'SHOUT' to 85258. 

 
Make a report to Report & Support. You can report something anonymously or report with contact details to be offered an informal meeting with an advisor to discuss your support options.
Speak to an advisor - A specialist advisor from the report and support team will contact you to discuss your options and will be able to offer appropriate practical and emotional support. This does not institute any kind of formal reporting process, we will not pressure you to report the abuse to the police or the university discipline team.

Wellbeing service. The University’s team of professional wellbeing advisors, practitioners and counsellors offers confidential support. This includes wellbeing chats. This can be accessed 24/7 via The Student Hub. Please call The Student Hub on +44(0)23 80599 599 or email studenthub@soton.ac.uk

Report and Support. Students and staff can report an incident using the University’s Report and Support system. You can choose to do this anonymously or you can request support from an advisor. If you choose to talk to an advisor they will be able to talk through the options and support available to you, in confidence. 

University policy. If you choose to make a formal complaint to the University against a student or a member of staff there are procedures which set out the steps you will need to follow. 

Reporting to the police. In an emergency or if you are in immediate danger you should dial 999.  Otherwise, you can call 101 or visit your local police station or use an online form to report a crime.  Reporting is a big decision and all of the support services linked here can support you with this.

Report the incident anonymously. You can call Crime Stoppers at any point on 0800 555 111 or use their online form. 

Southampton Hate Crime app. This is a quick way that either a potential victim or bystander to an incident can inform a Third Party Hate Crime Reporting Centre in Southampton about it. 

Support for students can be accessed 24/7 via The Student Hub. You can call The Student Hub team on +44(0)23 80599 599 and select option two for wellbeing or if you would prefer, email studenthub@soton.ac.uk

The SUSU Advice Centre is a free, confidential, impartial service where an advisor can talk through the procedure, how to complain, what options are available and support you through the process. This support includes checking draft complaints and attending any meetings with the University. 

Employee Assistance Programme. EAP is a confidential and independent support service for university staff.