Towards a new typology of disablist hate crime offenders: A contextual analysis.

Abstract

Life for disabled people can be particularly challenging. In addition to the challenges of living with an impairment or condition, they are more likely to be harassed, intimidated and exploited (Chapman, 2020; EHRC, 2011; ONS, 2018; Wilkin, 2022). Disablist hate crimes are increasing, and many disabled people live in fear, limiting their activities, and avoiding ‘risky’ situations as a result. This chapter aims to develop an understanding of disablist hate crime offenders by examining several datasets, noting differences in disablist acts: in the context of incidents, the relationships between perpetrators and victims, and their potential motivations. This chapter develops our understanding of these features by interrogating the situated actions of perpetrators and victim/survivor reactions and advancing a nuanced profile of disablist hate crime offenders. It concludes by recognising that disablist hate crimes are dynamic and that perpetrator actions can be diverse; the challenge is in applying this typology in future research to examine its relevance and endurance over time.