Supporting Victims of Hate Crime: A Practitioner Guide

157 Pages·2017·1.916 MB·English

by  Kusminder Chahal

S KUSMINDER CHAHAL
“An essential resource for professional This practical guide provides user-friendly, U
and volunteer practitioners supporting concise, expert and up-to-date guidance PP
victims of hate crime... offers expert for both new and experienced hate crime OR
and up-to-date information in terms T SUPPORTING
caseworkers and advocates (whether I
of research, policy frameworks, the N
professional or volunteers). Filling a gap in G
principles and values that underpin
casework and the core skills needed to the growing debates and research literature VIC
be an effective practitioner.” on hate crime, it takes as its starting point T
I
Irene Zempi, Nottingham Trent University a values-based casework practice that M VICTIMS
S
provides assistance, support and leads to the
O
“A very useful, practical and well- empowerment of victims of hate crimes. F
H
written guide to tackling the issues of A
With core casework standards and guidance T
hate crime, giving professionals and E A SHARING ECONOMY
volunteers a great reference point in on how to respond from a person-centred C OF HATE CRIME
supporting those affected.” approach to the victim’s perspective, it also RI
M
Rose Simkins, Chief Executive, provides an overview of current legislation in E
Stop Hate UK relation to prosecuting hate crimes and the
current EU Directive on victim support. Full of K
U
“Every practitioner working with hate relevant, up-to-date evidence based research S A practitioner guide
crime victims should keep this guide and policy, it will enable practitioners to be M
I
in their pocket. It provides a valuable confident and knowledgeable in supporting N
D
resource to reflect on their work.”
victims of hate crime. E
P
Paul Iganski, Lancaster University RO
Katu Csmovienndteryr UCnhiavhearsl itisy. aA R seosceiaalr crehs Aesasrcohceiar te CHLICY
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for over 23 years, he has worked in a variety HR
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of settings ranging from local government, LSS
consultancies, community projects and
higher education. His research interests focus
on exploring the lived experience of racist
victimisation and hate crime and practical
responses for victims. He has published PO
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widely on hate crime and has trained over IC
5,000 practitioners on racist victimisation Y &P
and hate crime, equality and diversity and POL
creosmeamrcuhneitrys .a ctivists as community-based RACTICY P
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www.policypress.co.uk ISBN 978-1-4473-2972-5
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PPOOLLIICCYY PPRREESSSS PPOOLLIICCYY && PPRRAACCTTIICCEE L
POLICY PRESS POLICY & PRACTICE @policypress IC
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CRIMINOLOGY / SOCIOLOGY PolicyPress & P POLICY PRESS POLICY & PRACTICE
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CHAHAL_Supporting victims of hate crime_pbk.indd 1 11/17/2016 3:29:40 PM
KUSMINDER CHAHAL
SUPPORTING VICTIMS
OF HATE CRIME
A practitioner guide
POLICY PRESS POLICY & PRACTICE
First published in Great Britain in 2017 by
Policy Press North America office:
University of Bristol Policy Press
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© Policy Press 2017
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ISBN 978-1-4473-2972-5 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4473-2974-9 (ePub)
ISBN 978-1-4473-2975-6 (Mobi)
ISBN 978-1-4473-2973-2 (ePdf)
The rights of Kusminder Chahal to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved: no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
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Cover design by Policy Press
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Printed and bound in Great Britain by CMP, Poole
Policy Press uses environmentally responsible print partners
This book is dedicated in
memory of my friend,
Professor Bogusia Temple
(1954–2016)

Contents
Acknowledgements vi
Author biography vii
1 Hate crime basics 1
2 Hate in a digital world 19
3 Rights-based support frameworks 29
4 The victim’s perspective 41
5 Roles and principles of casework support 55
6 Casework approaches to supporting clients 67
7 Communication and interpersonal skills 77
8 Fact finding 95
9 Self-care 109
Postscript 115
Appendix: Current UK hate crime legislation 119
References 131
Index 141
v
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Professor Harris Beider for his day-to-day support
and encouragement, and Professor Corinne May-Chahal for providing
expertise in Chapter Two.
vi
Author biography
Kusminder Chahal is a Research Associate at the Centre for Trust,
Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK.
vii

1
HATE CRIME BASICS
Hate crime casework and support involves providing emotional
support, practical assistance and advice to people and groups who have
reported, accessed or been referred to a support service or professional
(eg a hate crime practitioner, police officer, housing officer, social
worker or teacher). Guidance on providing effective casework support
to hate crime victims is limited and this guide offers information,
advice and frameworks for a busy practitioner to develop their working
practices with clients.
The first two chapters of the book focus on current hate crime
knowledge, including the increase in hate crime in the digital world.
Chapters Three and Four provide an insight into current rights-based
frameworks for victim support, as well as the needs of and approach
to working with hate crime victims. Chapters Five and Six introduce
the role of the caseworker working with hate crime victims, and the
underpinning principles and approaches to support. Chapters Seven
and Eight explore the interpersonal skills required to communicate
with clients and the minimum that needs to be considered in the
process of fact finding with the client. Chapter Nine recognises the
self-care needs of caseworkers themselves.
What is hate crime casework support?
Both European Union (EU) and UK policy has, in recent years, shifted
to recognising the needs of hate crime victims and the services and
1