National Hate Crime Awareness Week 10 - 17 October

This week marks National Hate Crime Awareness Week, an important opportunity to challenge prejudice, discrimination and hatred, and reaffirm our commitment to a Scotland where every young person feels safe, respected and included. We seem to be living in an ever more polarised world, where the idiom ‘agree to differ’ is rarely evident. Undoubtedly social media algorithms are not helping.

Against this backdrop, youth work plays a vital role in preventing hate by creating safe spaces, building trusted relationships, challenging harmful attitudes and helping young people celebrate diversity and difference.

Across Scotland, youth work is putting this into practice. YouthLink Scotland’s Action on Prejudice⁠ programme provides resources and learning to tackle discrimination and hate crime drawn from organisations across the youth work sector, while Action on Sectarianism⁠ challenges division and promotes understanding. Our United Voices network supports Black-led youth organisations, and our work with Education Scotland and respectme equips practitioners to recognise and respond to hate crime and prejudice-based behaviours.

These initiatives, alongside many specialist youth work charities (too many to mention all of you!) and the everyday work of youth workers in communities across Scotland, remind us that preventing hatred begins with education, understanding, positive relationships and a sense of belonging.

Every young person deserves to feel safe, valued and included. Youth work has a vital part to play in making that a reality.

To play your part you can upskill yourself by attending our information session with Education Scotland and RespectMe on 2nd December  Hate Crime Prejudice-Based Behaviour – National guidance Tickets, Wednesday, December 2  •  4 PM – 5 PM GMT+0 | Eventbrite