There are three main types of hate crime; physical assault, verbal abuse and incitement to hatred. 

Physical assault 

Physical assault of any kind is an offence, which should be reported. Depending on the level of violence used, a perpetrator may be charged with common assault, actual bodily harm or grievous bodily harm.  

Verbal abuse 

Verbal abuse, threats or name-calling can be common and an equally unpleasant experience for minority groups. 

Incitement to hatred 

The offence of incitement to hatred occurs when someone acts in a way that is threatening and intended to stir up hatred. That could be in words, pictures, videos or music and includes information posted on websites. 

Example of hate content may include: 

• Messages calling for violence against a specific person or group; 
• Web pages that show pictures, videos or descriptions of violence against anyone due to their perceived differences; 
• Chat forums where people ask other people to commit hate crimes against a specific person or group.