Dealing with and reporting racist incidents in school - Lincolnshire ...

Existing offence Maximum penalty for Maximum penalty for
basic offence racially aggravated
offence
Common assault 6 months imprisonment 2 years imprisonment
and/or level 5 fine (£5,000) and/or an unlimited fine
Assault occasioning
actual bodily harm
5 years imprisonment 7 years imprisonment
Malicious wounding 5 years imprisonment 7 years imprisonment
Causing fear of 5 years imprisonment 7 years imprisonment
violence and/or an unlimited fine and/or an unlimited fine
Threatening behaviour 6 months imprisonment 2 years imprisonment
and/or level 5 fine (£5,000) and/or an unlimited fine
Harassment/intentional 6 months imprisonment 2 years imprisonment
harassment and/or level 5 fine (£5,000) and/or an unlimited fine
Criminal damage 10 years imprisonment 14 years imprisonment
Disorderly behaviour Level 3 fine (£1,000) Level 4 fine (£2,500)
Dealing with and reporting racist incidents in school
Part I
The offences listed in the left-hand column provide a useful guide as to the type
of incident that constitutes a crime, and which therefore needs to be reported to
the Police. To this list should be added a further offence: that of inciting racial
hatred.
3.5 In Britain, the minimum age of criminal responsibility is 10. However, for
intelligence gathering purposes, Lincolnshire Police have made it clear that
they feel it is appropriate for them to be informed about children under 10 who
are perpetrators of serious racist incidents, incidents for which if they were 10
years old or more they could be held criminally responsible.
3.6 It is important to recognise that what might start as low-level, day-to-day
occurrences may progress to something more serious if the incidents become
persistent, either on the part of the perpetrator(s) or the victim(s). A series of
seemingly insignificant incidents directed against a particular person or group
is likely to constitute racial harassment; and, although each incident in itself
may appear unimportant, the cumulative effect may have serious consequences
for the victim or victims and should not be underestimated.
3.7 Victims of racial harassment may begin to perceive that all negative incidents
and events in their lives emanate from racial prejudice. They might well begin
to over-react to low-level conflict situations, even when it is clear that these are
not racially motivated. Parents/carers of pupils who have been victims of racial
harassment become quite naturally very sensitive to their children’s accounts of
negative experiences within the school situation. Members of staff within
schools need to be aware of this and respond appropriately to all parents’/carers’
concerns, ensuring that they receive accurate, clear and current information
about what actions are being taken when an incident occurs, however trivial it
may seem.
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