Homophobic Crimes - Why They Happen And How They Are Punished

Homophobic crimes come from the word homophobia. The root word literally means the irrational fear or discrimination against homosexuals or homosexuality itself. Basically, homophobic crimes are offenses committed with homophobia as the main motivation. Victims do not necessarily have to be gay or lesbian, but deemed to be so by the offender. The crimes may be in the form of bullying, harassment, assault, verbal abuse, name calling, damage to property, and graffiti.

Victims of homophobic crimes more often than not fail to report such incidents to the police. They fear that they would not be taken seriously. Hence, some cases were undocumented and the crimes were able to go on. Reporting such crimes would have provided useful information that would have been necessary for the apprehension and prosecution of offenders.

Nevertheless, some local police stations nowadays have special units solely organized for homophobic crimes. Officers who take on such cases had undergone a special training on how to handle issues of homophobia. In addition, there are actually two ways of reporting such crimes. The victim may either report it directly or through another person, also known as third party reporting.

The type of action the police will take also depends on the extent of information the victim is willing to divulge. For instance, if the victim does not wish to include details then the incident will be utilized for monitoring purposes only. On the other hand, if the victim discloses details about the crime, the unpleasant incident will be looked into and followed up. The victim then gets the protection and support he or she needs. Also it should be comforting to know that punishments for persons convicted of homophobic crimes will be more severe and such will be dealt with as gravely as racial hate crimes.

Safety Tips for Victims and Potential Victims

For potential victims of a homophobic crime, some safety measures may come in handy. First and foremost, stay alert and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Leave venues with a friend as much as possible, or at least inform a friend that you are heading home so that he or she can check on you after some time. Stick to well-lit areas and make sure you know where you are going. Have your keys ready when you reach your car or your home. You may carry a personal alarm, if you have one, and make sure to use it if necessary. Lastly, always trust your gut feeling.

Unfortunately, for some people prevention may have been too late. Actual victims of this crime may utilize some of these tips. Make as much noise as possible and get help immediately. Get medical attention if necessary and do not shower or change clothes until after it has been examined and documented. Stay sober.

Check your stuff if you have lost any items that has your address on it. If you had lost any of such items, do not go home. Instead, inform the people in your house about the incident. Also, change your door locks as quickly as possible if your keys are missing. Lastly, you may need to feel safe and protected especially right after an unpleasant incident so ask for assistance from the local police station in your area.

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