FACTSHEET: Bias motivated insults, abuse, and harassment in Bosnia and Herzegovina: recommendations for law and policy

The 2023 Hate Crime Underreporting Survey for Bosnia and Herzegovina identified interpersonal insults and abuse in public places as a major concern. However, many victims do not report incidents to authorities due to various reasons. As a result, in order to obtain a systematic account of the potential problem, the survey asked respondents a series of questions about their experiences with the type of behaviour of concern—interpersonal insults, direct verbal assaults, offensive gestures, or harassment such as pestering or other intimidating behaviour—in public places in the previous year. For those who had experienced such behaviour, the survey went on to ask about the locations of the incidents, the perpetrators, any perceived bias motivations, the potential impact of the incidents on the respondents, and whether the incidents were reported to the police or other authorities. 

This factsheet presents key findings and recommendations for criminal justice and other authorities based on the survey findings.