If you have been affected in any way by harassment, bullying, intimidation or discrimination there are a range of support services provided by the universities, The Students' Union and external organisations who can help all students and staff. You may not know it, but you may have experienced a hate crime which is reportable to the police.
We would encourage you to report any incidents– no matter how small you might think these are- and seek the support you might need.
Speak Out
Our new joint reporting tool Speak Out, is designed to make it easier for you to report incidents of bullying, harassment and discrimination and ensure the right support is provided.
We want to know about all incidents on our campuses.
Speak out
A hate crime can be committed against a person or their property based on:
- Disability
- Race or ethnicity
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- or any part of someone’s personal identity
Hate crimes can include things like:
- Being called names or other forms of verbal abuse
- Being sent offensive letters, emails or text messages
- Being attacked or threatened with violence
- Having your property interfered with or damaged
If any of these things are happening to you, you should report them to the police and you can also report them to the university.
We have a zero tolerance approach to hate crime and work together on this.
The police are committed to investigating all forms of hate crime. We cannot report a hate crime to the police on your behalf but we can support you in making a complaint to the police.
If you are not sure if you have experienced a crime or not we would still encourage you to report it to the police or to talk to someone about this. Sometimes what you have experienced may not be a crime but if it is motivated by hostility or prejudice these are called hate incidents and these are also monitored by the police.
How do I report?
If it is an emergency where life is threatened, people are injured or offenders are nearby and an urgent response is required, ring 999.
You can report hate crime to the police in a number of different ways
If you do not wish to report to the police direct you can report through a third party who may also be able to provide help and guidance:
By reporting through a third party you can remain anonymous if you wish to but please read the guidance on the provider website about how to do this.
The university cannot report a hate crime to the police on your behalf but we can support you to make a report to the police. You can ask for this support when you report an incident informally or formally or through the Wellbeing Service or the Student Cases team.
You can read more about hate crime, how to report and details of third parties on the Devon and Cornwall Police website.
Helpline Support
If you are part of the East or Southeast Asian community, you can also use On Your Side Helpline, a UK-wide service for East and Southeast Asian communities who experience racism or other forms of hate.
If you are part of the Chinese community, you can also use The Chinese Lantern Project. The aim of this helpline is to identify isolated and hidden members of the community and empower them to better integrate into the wider society and to offer support and referrals through listening attentively with understanding and empathy.