Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

A study conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 1999 found that victims of racial harassment felt isolated and cut-off from the traditional support channels available to victims of crime. This study surveys the progress made in the field over the past 4 years, assessing the development and response of community-based support projects for the victims of racial harassment, and considers how casework-led interventions respond to the needs of victims.

Title: Supporting & empowering victims of racist harassment
Author: Kusminder Chahal
Series: JRF Findings 763
Number of pages: 4
Date published: July 2003

The report found that:

• There is an uneven spread of support projects around the country

• Projects have been initiated for a variety of reasons - the need for a more co-ordinated response, awareness-raising, or a political response to racially-motivated attacks.

• A wide range of activities are undertaken as part of these projects.

• Casework is the foundation of all the projects studied, but the degree to which casework forms the basis of intervention varies. The positive aspects of casework - supporting the victim, rebuilding confidence, and validating the experience of victims of harassment.

• The number of cases undertaken by each member of an initiative varies greatly and variations in funding can lead to support being withdrawn from cases at short notice.

• The racist harassment support sector could be strengthened by adequate funding streams, recognising the needs of caseworkers for structures of support, and developing community-based solutions to providing support and assistance.

View Supporting & empowering victims of racist harassment on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Website.

A full 54-page report of the study is also available from the JRF website, both in PDF format and hard copy (priced £13.95).