Not every crime committed against a person in one of these groups is a hate crime.
It is only a hate crime if the offender targeted that person because of this reason. If a crime happened, but not because of a person's race, gender, religion etc then it's not a hate crime.
A crime can also be a hate crime if the victim is targeted because the offender mistakenly believes they have a particular protected characteristic. For example, if someone targets you because they believe you're gay but you're not, the incident may still be a hate crime.
Hate crimes can take almost any form. Assaults, harassment or damage to property can all be hate crimes, if the victim was targeted for one of the reasons above. They can take place anywhere – in the street, on a bus, at work, at school or online.
Remember, don’t ignore hate. Report it.
How to report a hate crime Easy read (PDF 2.8MB)