A rationale for social work interventions into hate relationships

Catherine Donovan, John Clayton and Stephen Macdonald

Chapter 14 in Handbook on Intersectionality and Social Work, 2026, pp 187-199 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: In this chapter we make the case for social work having greater involvement with cases of hate relationships. These occur when an individual and their family/household, because of their perceived protected characteristic under hate crime legislation, are victimised repeatedly by perpetrator(s) living locally who are known to them. The cumulative impact of repeated incidents which, separately, might be perceived by help providers as low-level, is profound. Based on research with a Hate Crime Advocacy Service (HCAS) in the North East of England, we point to the limitations of a criminal justice system (CJS) response. Instead, we argue that, for many of those victimised, a safeguarding framework would be beneficial. This would enable a social work perspective to prioritise a holistic understanding of the lived experiences of the victim and their family to develop an outcome that addresses the abuse they are experiencing – whether or not that includes a CJS outcome.

Keywords: Hate Relationships; Hate Crimes; Intersectionality; Social Work; Safeguarding (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035324453
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