ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the complexities of hate crime and its associated concepts. There will be a particular emphasis on its cyber forms. Though hate crime' is now well established on the criminal justice agendas of societies such as the UK as a concept, it remains elusive: no universal definition exists. The Hate Crime: cross-government action plan refers to a spectrum' of hate crime running from abuse and harassment through to violent extremism'. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is concerned with the diverse ways new technologies are permeating and impacting everyday life and its diverse social interactions. Cyber hate represents the convergence of two major social forces: the old' and the new'. However, these new technologies can also be effectively exploited by authorities: this will require them to respond through creative and flexible multidimensional strategies that draw on the potential of partnership synergies, diverse perspectives and shared knowledge, skills and resources operating in dynamic and globalized contexts.
