This research project is about men’s experience of homophobic abuse, harassment and violence (which I refer to as ‘victimisation’ from now on). The research is designed to contribute to a better understanding of how men are affected by homophobia, what response is needed from the criminal justice system and from support organisations, what helps recovery from the effects of homophobic victimisation, and how well our needs and expectations are currently met by organisations that are involved in responding to homophobic victimisation.
I have produced a brief update on progress about the research.
What is homophobic victimisation?
Homophobic victimisation is a term that describes homophobic incidents that might not be a crime, like abusive remarks; and homophobic crime, which is criminal activity motivated by homophobia, for example physical or sexual assaults, criminal damage etc.
In the UK, a homophobic incident is classed as a type of hate incident or hate crime, alongside other types of hate incidents. These include racist incidents and incidents motivated by religious prejudice, prejudice against disabled people etc. A hate incident is defined by the police as:
“Any incident, which may or may not constitute a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate”
ACPO Good Practice and Tactical Guidance on Hate Crime 2005
People don’t have to be gay to be at risk from homophobic victimisation. There have been instances when straight people have been attacked because the offender thought they were gay. Some men who have sex with men experience homophobic victimisation even though they do not regard themselves as gay.
What aspects of homophobic victimisation is the research about?
While there is already some research about homophobic victimisation (see the links page), there are a lot of gaps in current knowledge about the effects of homophobic victimisation on people and on their communities. In the UK, the criminal justice system and organisations that help people who have been victimised are very aware that they do not always give as good a service as they should to people who have experienced homophobic victimisation and other hate incidents. The lack of research on some aspects is problematic, because it means that organisations who are trying to provide better services are not always well informed.
Some of the current gaps in the research, which I am trying to address, include:
- What is different about homophobic victimisation: is it more damaging to people and communities than the effects of crimes that are not motivated by hate or prejudice?
- What are the particular needs of people who are victimised for more than one reason, such as Black gay men who sometimes experience abuse motivated by a combination of the offender’s racism and homophobia?
- What do people want and expect when they report a homophobic attack, abuse or harassment to the police or seek help from another organisation? Are their needs met and how could the police and support organisations do better?
My research methods:
I used three different methods of gathering data for this research project:
- I spent time with Metropolitan Police LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) specialist police officers who respond to reports of homophobic incidents in London
- I conducted a survey about people’s experiences of homophobic crime. Some people participated in the research by completing the survey here on-line. It was anonymous and nobody who completed it can be identified in anything that I write about the research
- I interviewed men who have experienced homophobic victimisation to ask them about their experiences: including what happened if they reported the incidents to the police, what would have helped them to report it if they didn’t go to the police, what help they would have liked after the incident, etc.
Confidentiality:
Nobody who completed the survey or who talked to me about their experience will be named or otherwise identified in anything that I write about this research. I will not pass on anybody’s name or other details to the police, to the university, or to any other person or organisation.
How is this research funded?
I am not in receipt of any grant or funding for this research. I have paid for it myself out of my savings. This means that I could not offer people much in the way of incentives to take part. However, I did offer every man who is interviewed a £15 gift card from a leading store of their choice as a gesture of my appreciation of their help.
How will this research be used?
Social research like this is often used to improve services to people who are affected by the issues that the research has addressed. Sometimes research is used to help devise training programmes for staff or volunteers, to raise public awareness of an issue, or to influence government policy.
Because this research project is for a PhD, I will benefit from it because, provided I complete it to the required standard, I will be awarded a PhD (a doctorate) by London University. But I also want to ensure that this research is put to good use in improving services to people who are affected by homophobic victimisation. For years I have worked to reduce homophobic victimisation and to raise awareness of it. I have written about homophobic victimisation and other hate crime for books, journal articles, and magazines. Until 2009 I was a member of a government advisory group that helps to shape UK government policy on hate crime, and I have often spoken at conferences about victimisation and how the criminal justice system can respond more effectively to it.
You can be sure therefore that if you are a man who has experienced homophobic victimisation and you participated in this research, what you said to me will help to influence the development and improvement of services. That means that your input will benefit people who in future might unfortunately experience this type of victimisation, who deserve the best possible help and support.
