Definition of Racial Harassment
WHAT IS RACIAL HARASSMENT?
An important issue to be considered when trying to understand the nature of racial harassment is that not only different organisations and institutions have different definitions but definitions also change over time. These changes reflect social and political pressures. Racial Harassment is violence which may be verbal or physical and which includes attacks on property as well as the person, suffered by individuals or groups because of their colour, race, nationality, or ethnic origin, when the victim believes that the perpetrator was acting on racial grounds and/or there is evidence of racism. The Third Report of the Inter Departmental Racial Attacks Group (Home Office 1996) recommended that the ACPO definition of racial incident should be adopted:-
"Any incident in which it appears to the reporting or investigating officer that the complaint involves an element of racial motivation, or any incident in which an allegation of racial motivation is made by any person".
The Latest Definition Since the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. A new simpler definition has been put forward:-
"A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person".
The report recommended that this definition be "universally adopted by the police, local government and other relevant agencies". The Home Office has accepted this new simplified definition and will ensure that it is adopted by the Police, local government and other relevant agencies. |
