NEW research indicates that children and young people in Wales are experiencing hate crimes in school at an alarming scale and a greater level of support for victims is needed.

The study, by independent charity Victim Support, was funded by the Welsh Government and involved in-depth conversations with 38 children and young people aged 11-16 years between August and November 2020. It found that over 60 per cent of participants have been victims of hate crime, with the majority of incidents happening within schools.

Participants who did tell school staff about their experiences said that in many cases schools had failed to support them and not put a stop to the abuse, and in some circumstances the lack of action led to an increase in harm to the victim. Others were told to change their behaviour to avoid future abuse. In one case a student claimed they were asked by their teachers to stop wearing a religious item in order to avoid being targeted by other students.

Other participants also pointed out that they had never been taught about hate crime in school or had conversations with adults about it.

Some good practice in schools was found in the research and many of the children and young people who took part in the study had some knowledge of what race related hate crime is, with some highlighting that the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests that followed contributed to their understanding. However, there was a lack of awareness of other types of hate crime such as disability or sexual orientation related hate crime.

Worryingly, many children and young people did not disclose the incidents they experience to anyone because it wasn’t viewed as being “big enough” to concern others with or they feared retaliation.

Victim Support is calling for all children in Wales who have experienced hate crime to have access to specialist support services. Earlier research by the charity shows that being a victim of hate crime can leave a person feeling fearful, isolated and vulnerable. It also undermines their sense of safety and has a huge impact on their self-confidence and self-worth.

Jessica Rees, Victim Support’s hate crime manager in Wales, said: “It’s crucial that children and young people are being educated in schools and having conversations with trusted adults on hate crime so that they understand it isn’t just nasty and offensive, but it is also a serious crime that has consequences.

“It became quite clear from our research that for too many young people school life is made extremely challenging due to the prejudice and harassment they experience because of their race, religion, sexuality, disability or gender identity.

“This is incredibly concerning, especially the lack of awareness amongst children and young people on how to report these incidents or access support, leaving them to suffer in silence and believe this is acceptable behaviour.

“It’s important that schools and communities have the resources they need to support children and young people who experience hate crime, as well as deter offending by promoting inclusive attitudes.”

Social justice minister Jane Hutt said: “I am grateful to Victim Support Cymru for undertaking these important conversations with young people on behalf of the Welsh Government.

“No person should have to tolerate hate crime – hate has no home in Wales. Although this was a small sample, the resulting report shows that unfortunately hate incidents are too common an experience for young people in Wales.

“We are committed to ensuring our children and young people know where to access support whenever they need it and that schools are supported to respond appropriately to incidents. We also want to ensure all learners feel safe, secure and are supported to achieve their full potential.”

“Our ‘Hate Crime in Schools’ project will deliver awareness sessions to teachers and pupils in more than 150 schools in 2021/22, and we will continue to fund our Victim Support Cymru-led National Hate Crime Report and Support Centre to be inclusive of young hate crime victims; we will also look at continuing further support through its successor programme, which will begin in April 2022.

Victim Support runs the National Hate Crime Report and Support Centre across Wales. Commissioned by the Welsh Government, the service provides free and confidential emotional support to victims affected by hate and allows people to report hate crime incidents without having to contact the police directly, including anonymously.