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Hate incidents and hate crime

Support is available to any Teesside University student who has experienced a hate incident or hate crime at any time in their lives.

You may feel you need support in relation to an incident(s) which happened recently or in the past, on or off campus and involving another student or anybody else. Teesside University is committed to promoting a safe and supportive campus environment for all members of our community and will take a zero-tolerance approach to any hate incidents or hate crime.

What is a hate incident/ hate crime?

Hate incidents can take many forms, including:

  • verbal abuse including name-calling and offensive jokes
  • physical attacks such as hitting, punching, pushing, spitting
  • threats of violence
  • hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages, hate mail
  • online abuse, for example on Facebook or Twitter
  • displaying or circulating discriminatory literature or posters
  • harm or damage to your property.

Anyone can be the victim of a hate incident. For example, you may have been verbally abused by someone in the street because you're disabled or because of your sexuality. You may also be targeted because of what someone perceives you to be; for example, if someone targets you because they think you are gay even though you are not. This is still a hate incident.

When hate incidents become criminal offences they are known as hate crimes.

The Police and CPS (2017) define hate crime as:

Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person's disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity.

Not all hate incidents will amount to a criminal offence, however if you feel able to do so you should still consider reporting it to Police. Any criminal offence can be a hate crime if it was carried out because of hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, transgender identity or sexual orientation. Hate crimes cause harassment, alarm or distress (Public Order Act 1988).

Experiencing a hate incident or crime can be distressing and any student who experiences this from any individual or group throughout their student journey will have the full support of the university.

You are not alone and there are people and services both within and external to the university listed below, who are here to support you.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger dial 999.

Support from our Student Advisers

Within Student and Library Services, we have a team of Welfare Advisers who will listen to you, explore your options, and point you in the direction of specialist support; this is led by you so you can choose whether you access recommended support or not.

Our Student Advisers have access to internal services within the university, including academic support; as well as links with external services to ensure you are given the appropriate support and advice.

To access support from our Student Advisers please email studentlife@tees.ac.uk.

We will ensure you receive the most appropriate support to help you to feel safe and supported throughout your time at University.

We recognise that some students may have accessibility needs when attending an appointment. This includes, but is not limited to, learning, communication and sensory difficulties as well as mobility, visual and hearing impairments. If you would like to discuss any particular requirements, please email studentlife@tees.ac.uk in advance of your appointment and we can discuss any adaptations required to meet your individual needs.

Support from outside of the University

Local Support Services

Victim care and advice
0303 040 1099

Hart Gables
01642 675509
Hart Gables work to ensure all LGBTQ+ people are given equal life chances and have access to services that meet their needs.

National Support Services

True Vision
Police funded website designed to provide information about hate crime which is aimed at improving the service that Police provide to minority communities. Self-reporting and information pack available as well as online facilities that allows you to report hate crime quickly to the Police.

Crimestoppers
0800 555 111
Call anonymously with information about crime

Equality Advisory & Support (EASS)
0808 800 0082
Advises and assists individuals on issues relating to equality and human rights across England, Scotland and Wales

Stop Hate Line
Run by the charity Stop Hate UK for immediate advice and support. Anyone who is either a victim or a witness of a hate crime will be able to report the incident directly to the Helpline.

Victim Support
0808 16 89 111
Victim Support operates a 24/7 support line and live chat service, every day of the year, offering specialist emotional and practical support to anyone who has been a victim or a witness. You don't have to report a crime to get help from Victim Support.

CST Support for our Jewish Community
CST has a dedicated team that deals with antisemitic incidents and provides victim support, while respecting confidentiality at all times. CST can liaise with the police and other bodies to help ensure that any incident is dealt with properly. If you do not want to contact the police directly, CST can do so on your behalf as a 'Third Party Reporter'.

TellMAMA
TELL MAMA supports victims of anti-Muslim hate and is a public service which also measures and monitors anti-Muslim incidents.

Galop LGBT+ Hate Crime Helpline 020 7704 2040 LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline 0800 999 5428

Support outside of office hours

Emergency services

You can contact the emergency services by dialling 999. This number should be used in an emergency for either Police, Ambulance or Fire service.

For a non-emergency response, you can contact the police by dialling 101.

Campus security

Campus security contribute towards ensuring a safe environment for staff, students and visitors. They are based within the University Library and are available 24 hours a day.

You can contact Security on 01642 342086 or in cases of an emergency extension 3200. We would also recommend you download the SafeZone app which allows you to call for help and alerts staff to your situation and location so they can co-ordinate help to you quickly.
Find out more about the campus security team

SHOUT

SHOUT is a free confidential anonymous service for anyone in the UK. Trained volunteers are available 24/7 to listen and support you. To start a conversation text the word SHOUT to 85258.

Samaritans

Samaritans are available 24/7 and provide free confidential support. You can make contact by calling 116 123 for an immediate conversation. Samaritans also offer an email service as some people prefer to write their thoughts down. You can do this by emailing jo@Samaritans.org and receive a response within 24 hours.

Reporting to the University

If the hate crime/incident involves another student, you may consider reporting your experience formally to the University under the Student Code of Conduct highlighted by Student Casework Office (SCO). This is a separate process to speaking to our welfare advisers and may lead to a formal investigation.
Guide for students, the complaints form and the Student Complaints Policy and Procedure

The Students' Union can provide you with free, independent advice and guidance relating to a student complaint. You are encouraged to seek independent advice from the Students Union before submitting your application form. You can access the Students' Union by visiting or emailing suss@tees-su.org.uk.

Reporting to the Police

Hate Crime is a criminal offence. You can report any incident of hate crime to the Police at any time.

Cleveland Police can be contacted via 101 (non-emergency), or if it is an emergency and you could be in danger contact 999.

For further information about reporting hate crime to the Police please visit Cleveland Police's website.

If you are undecided about reporting to the Police but would like to find out more information, you can contact our Student Advisers who can refer you to our on-campus Police Community Support Officers (PCSO). They will be able to explain the reporting process and answer any questions you may have. To arrange this, please email studentlife@tees.ac.uk.

Choosing not to report

It is entirely your decision whether you wish to report to the Police or not. You can access support from our Student Advisers regardless of your decision.

Accessing support if you have been accused of a hate incident or crime

Support is also available for students who have been accused of a hate crime or hate incident or are subject to the internal disciplinary processes or a Police investigation. You can access wellbeing support from a dedicated member of staff who can assist you in accessing internal and external support services and liaising with departments as needed. If you wish to access this support, please email studentlife@tees.ac.uk and identify in the email the type of support you require is due to an accusation made against you, to enable us to put the most appropriate support in place.

Confidentiality

The Student Welfare and Advice service is a free and confidential service to all Teesside University students meaning, any information you provide us can only be seen by appropriate members of staff involved in helping you access support.

There may be times you wish for your Student Adviser to speak with internal or external services. This would only be done with your informed consent. There are however some exceptions where we have a duty of care to share information without your consent. These situations are detailed below:

  • if you or anyone else is at risk of harm
  • if there is a concern regarding safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults
  • if there is a legal requirement, for example at a court hearing.

Under the General Data Protection Regulations, we are obliged to tell you how we collect and use your personal data. Please note enquiries and appointments with our service are tracked electronically and the personal data of your enquiry is stored in protected files. We keep this data to enable us to track your enquiry and our response for future reference. This personal information will be retained for 7 years after which it will be destroyed securely.

For more information, please refer to the University's General Privacy Notice for students.

Feedback and complaints

If you would like to provide any service feedback or make a complaint about the service you have received, in the first instance please contact Studentlife@tees.ac.uk.

If you would like to make a formal complaint, please refer to the information provided on the Student Casework Office (SCO) complaints page.


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