“Asked if I have experienced homophobia, I’ll say no. What I mean by that is I have not had my head kicked in”: Understanding LGBT+ perspectives on hate crime and barriers to reporting in the UK

As Covid-19 restrictions eased in 2021, a wave of LGBT + hate crime was reported in the media across local regions in the United Kingdom (UK). Although recorded hate crimes are increasing, as few as one in ten victims report instances of victimisation. Whilst decision-making processes and models of reporting helping to understand the reasons for under-reporting of hate crimes have been explored, there is a lack of UK-based research into the LGBT + community’s understanding of what constitutes hate crime, their perceptions of the police, and barriers to reporting such offences. Through 12 semi-structured interviews with LGBT + individuals from a northern UK city, thematic analysis revealed key factors contributing to under-reporting. Participants expressed uncertainty about what constitutes an anti-LGBT + hate crime, particularly in relation to verbal abuse, and often did not perceive their experiences as severe enough to report. Low confidence in engaging with the police stemmed from concerns about poor treatment, disbelief, and fears of homophobic or transphobic attitudes within law enforcement. Additionally, participants were largely unaware of third-party reporting centres (TPRCs) as an alternative method for reporting. Based on these findings, the study recommends improving police engagement through better training on LGBT + issues, reducing the tokenistic use of LGBT + officers, and launching awareness campaigns to clarify what constitutes a hate crime, and promote the use of TPRCs. These measures could help bridge the gap in reporting and improve police-community relations.