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This article examines how perceptions of interviewing elites influence the decisions made at every stage of the qualitative research process. It also reflects on issues of positionality and power which relate not only to the relationship between researcher and respondent but also to the subject matter of the research itself. As such I suggest that it is important to critically assess assumptions made about elites and to reflect on how the position of the researcher might impact upon the exchange and resultant findings. In essence what is found is that in discussing the construction of policy, a delicate balance is struck between positionality and research topic and that the policy narrative is a joint construction which is very much shaped by the identity and positionality of everyone involved.

In 1998, the Labour government introduced legislation broadening British sentencing powers in relation to crimes aggravated by the offender's hostility towards the victim's actual or perceived race, religion, sexual orientation or disability. Gender is a notable omission from this list. Through a survey of eighty-eight stakeholders working in the violence against women (VAW) sector, this paper explores both the potential benefits and possible disadvantages of adding a gender-based category concerned with VAW to British hate crime legislation. The majority of participants believed that a hate crime approach would offer significant benefits, especially in terms of the symbolic power of the law to send a message to society that VAW is unacceptable. However, most also recognised that the addition of a VAW category to current legislation would involve major practical and conceptual difficulties, not least those resulting from problematic assumptions about the nature of hate crimes versus VAW, and a general unwillingness on the part of policy-makers to address the socio-cultural inequalities that underpin VAW. Overall, the fact that the majority of participants favoured inclusion, on the basis that the possible symbolic benefits were likely to outweigh the potential practical disadvantages, is significant: it speaks to the power of hate crime legislation to challenge many forms of inequality and discrimination still endemic in British society.

Nils Christie's (1986) seminal work on the 'Ideal Victim' is reproduced in full in this edited collection of vibrant and provocative essays that respond to and update the concept from a range of thematic positions. Each chapter celebrates and commemorates his work by analysing, evaluating and critiquing the current nature and impact of victim identity, experience, policy and practice. The collection expands the focus and remit of 'victim studies', addressing key themes around race, gender, faith, ability and age while encompassing new and diverse issues. Examples include sex workers as victims of hate crimes, victims' experiences of online fraud, and recognising historic child sexual abuse victims in Ireland. With contributions from an array of academics including Vicky Heap (Sheffield Hallam University), Hannah Mason-Bish (University of Sussex) and Pamela Davies (Northumbria University), as well as a Foreword by David Scott (The Open University), this book evaluates the contemporary relevance and applicability of Christie's 'Ideal Victim' concept and creates an important platform for thinking differently about victimhood in the 21st century

Why has so much hate crime policy seemingly ignored academic research? And why has so much research been conducted without reference to policy? This book bridges the gap between research and policy by bringing together internationally renowned hate crime experts from the domains of scholarship, policy and activism. It provides new perspectives on the nature of hate crime victimisation and perpetration, and considers an extensive range of themes, challenges and solutions which have previously been un- or under-explored. In doing so, the book offers innovative ways of combating and preventing hate crime that combine cutting-edge research with the latest in professional innovations. Essential reading for students, academics and practitioners working across a range of disciplines including criminology, sociology and social policy, Responding to Hate Crime makes a clear and compelling case for closer and more constructive partnerships between scholars and policy makers