The Junction is now a 3rd Party Reporting centre for Hate Crime. This means that young people aged 12-21 can come and tell us about a Hate Crime they have experienced or witnessed and we can report it to the Police on their behalf. If you make a report with us, we can pass on your details to the Police or keep the report anonymous if you prefer.
What is a Hate Crime?
A Hate Crime is any crime motivated by hatred of a person because of their race, religion, transgender identity, sexual orientation or disability. A few examples would be:
-Someone’s property is spray painted with racist graffiti
-Two young men are followed down the street by people shouting homophobic comments and threats (it doesn’t matter whether they are actually gay, bisexual, straight etc. – it’s still a Hate Crime)
-A young person is bullied online because they have autism
There are lots of other examples of Hate Crime. If you’re not sure whether what you have experienced or seen was against the law, you can come and talk to a worker at The Junction. We won’t pass information on to the Police unless you want us to. Hate Crime is high on Police Scotland’s priority list, so they should take all reports seriously.
What will happen if I make a report?
A Junction worker will ask you if you want to make a report to the Police. If you agree to this, they will take some details about what happened and your contact details (unless you want to stay anonymous). They will pass it on to the Police, who will investigate what happened to see which, if any laws have been broken and what evidence they can find. Junction staff can support you through the process, from talking about how you feel after the experience to deciding what to do next and (if necessary) talking to the Police, giving evidence etc.
You can find more information out here.
How do I use this service?
Just pop into the Junction during our walk-in or drop-in hours. Alternatively, you can call us on 0131 553 0570 and make your report that way.
Remember: we’re here to support young people aged 12 -21 – you are welcome just to talk to someone about your experience, even if you don’t want it reported to the police.