The concept of ‘hate crimes’ is new to the UK and does not fit easily with an individualised approach to criminal justice. Racial and other forms of aggravating factors have long been taken into account in sentencing, but it is a recent innovation to legislate for such an approach. It appears from American research that hate-motivated crime can have a significantly greater impact upon victims than, for example, other types of vandalism or harassment (Laurence 1999). This is beginning to be recognised in inter-agency crime prevention work, and by the police. Not only is racially motivated crime increasingly prioritised, but so are homophobic assaults and harassment.