Reporting Anti-LGBTQI Hate Crime to the Police

This study investigates the views and experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex (LGBTQI) people in Norway of reporting hate crimes to the police, using more than 3000 responses to open-ended survey questions. We used thematic analysis to identify the variety of experiences of reporting hate incidents and the reasons for not reporting them. We identified a range of barriers to reporting incidents, and a few positive experiences, across the five dimensions of reporting we conceptualised. Our findings indicate a widespread lack of trust among LGBTQI citizens in the police’s ability to provide justice and protection in relation to hate crime victimisation. The different experiences and views of barriers to reporting we identified are clearly related to issues of police legitimacy, procedural justice, and legal cynicism. The findings help explain why underreporting of anti-LGBTQI hate crimes is a major issue in Norway, as it is elsewhere.