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Research
Adequate hate crime policies by NGOs and authorities in Poland and Germany can be also facilitated, amongst other things, by more research efforts and expertise in various fields.
· In Germany and Poland more attention should be paid to the question how public prosecutors and the jurisdiction in general deal with hate crime dimensions in criminal proceedings. This could be important for the development of more sophisticated litigation strategies. For Polish NGOs interested in providing legal aid and support in court proceedings, it could be helpful to learn more about the application of existing legal provisions and procedural instruments, especially the provision of subsidiary prosecution.
· More information on the extent and nature of hate crimes in Poland could be obtained by conducting more victimization surveys on specific target groups (for example alternative youth, visible minority groups), similar to the ones already carried out by NGOs representing the LGBT community. These could be used for awareness raising and public campaigns.
· Coping strategies of hate crime victims and the actual impact of victim counseling need more research and consideration in both countries in order to develop adequate approaches and/or to improve existing services.
· The relationship between hate speech and hate crimes seems to be completely under-explored, especially the impact on hate speech and incitement to hatred in the Internet. Multidisciplinary research projects could address this question, taking into consideration the influence of media and elite discourses, and institutional frameworks for national anti-hate speech policies.
Research and inquiry could be conducted and supported at various levels, ranging from expert workshops, grants for relevant PhD projects, or project-based co-operation between NGOs and academic institutions.
(OPP)
