This piece of research explored the experiences of homophobic abuse of gay men and lesbians in Kensington & Chelsea. A questionnaire using a convenience sample asked respondents about their experiences of abuse and whether these were reported to the local police. Of particular concern was why these might not have been reported. A series of strategies designed to counteract non-reporting were presented to respondents for feedback. Finally, the questionnaire asked whether the risk of homophobic abuse affected their everyday lives--for example, did they fear the prospect of abuse in their everyday lives, or did they behave in certain routine ways to decrease the likelihood?

The research was commissioned by FUSION - Working Towards A Safer And Fairer Community. This is a group dedicated to fighting 'hate crime' - that is crime against an individual or a group, based solely on their race, colour, creed, sexual orientation or vulnerability. It is spearheaded by the Kensington & Chelsea Gay & Lesbian Community & Police Liaison Group. Jonathan Jackson, from the London School of Economics, designed the questionnaire, analysed the data and wrote the report.

Click here for the full report as an Acrobat PDF file, or click here for the questionnaire as an Acrobat PDF file