What to Do if Someone Threatens You Over the Phone
If you've been the victim of calumniating or threatening behaviour past someone near your home or when you're out and about it may be harassment. There are dissimilar things you can exercise if yous're being harassed.
Read this page to find out more near what you can do if y'all're being harassed.
What is harassment?
Harassment is when someone behaves in a way which makes you lot feel distressed, humiliated or threatened. It could exist someone you know, like a neighbour or people from you lot local area or it could be a stranger - for example, someone on the bus.
Examples of harassment include:
- unwanted phone calls, letters, emails or visits
- abuse and bullying online
- stalking
- exact corruption and threats
- smashing windows or using dogs to frighten you.
If you're being harassed and y'all experience you're in danger you can contact the police.
If you lot retrieve you're being harassed because you're transgender or considering of your disability, race, religion or sexuality, yous can report the harassment to the police every bit a detest crime or detest incident.
Y'all can check how to report a detest crime or incident to the police.
Have activity under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997
Harassment is both a law-breaking and a ceremonious action under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
This means that someone can be prosecuted in the criminal courts if they harass yous. It also means you can take action against the person in the civil courts.
When is something harassment under the Human activity?
Generally speaking harassment is behaviour which causes y'all distress or alarm.
The Act besides says you must have experienced at least 2 incidents by the same person or grouping of people for it to exist harassment.
It'southward the courts that decide if something is harassment under the Deed. The courts will look at whether near people or a reasonable person would think the behaviour amounts to harassment.
When can y'all take civil court action near harassment?
If yous've been the victim of harassment y'all tin can accept action in the civil courts against the person harassing you.
You need to brand your claim inside half dozen years of when the harassment happened.
Y'all can notwithstanding accept civil courtroom activity even if the person harassing you hasn't been found guilty of a criminal offence.
What can the court exercise if you lot have civil activity about harassment?
The court can make an gild or injunction that the person harassing you lot must cease their behaviour. If they don't cease harassing yous subsequently the court has made an injunction confronting them, it'south a crime and they can exist prosecuted in the criminal courts.
You tin also enquire the court for compensation if you lot've suffered financial or emotional loss - for case, if the harassment has fabricated you feel very broken-hearted or distressed.
If you're thinking nearly taking court action, you should get advice from an experienced adviser - for example, at a Citizens Advice local office. Find your nearest Citizens Advice.
Harassment by a landlord
If a landlord harasses you this could exist a criminal offence under the Protection from Eviction Human activity 1977.
When is it harassment by a landlord?
The law-breaking of harassment is when your landlord, or anyone acting on their behalf - for instance, an manor agent - does something deliberately that interferes with the enjoyment of your habitation and is intended to brand y'all get out, or accept away your rights.
Examples of harassment include:
- interfering with or cutting off services, like h2o, gas or electricity
- visiting your home regularly without warning, especially at dark
- using threatening behaviour or being physically violent
What can yous do almost it?
If you've experienced this kind of harassment y'all can contact your local authority and they can accept action against your landlord. You tin can besides can contact the constabulary.
If you're harassed by your landlord you may need advice from an experienced adviser - for example, at a Citizens Communication local function.
Harassment by creditors
If yous owe coin to a creditor and stop making payments, they can take activeness against you to become their money dorsum. A creditor is someone you owe money to.
Some types of behaviour by a creditor when they attempt to recover money from yous are non acceptable and could be harassment.
If you feel you're being harassed past a creditor, there are several things you can do to end them doing it.
- More than about harassment by a creditor
Harassment on the internet or in chat rooms
Harassment on the internet and in chat rooms is as well known as cyber bullying.
If you're being harassed on the cyberspace you should try to cease that person from contacting you lot, for example by 'blocking' them in a chatroom or on a social network.
If something makes you lot uncomfortable on a social network, you tin can besides click the 'study' push.
Endeavour to go show of the bullying by making copies of whatsoever threatening online conversations, for case past saving emails or taking screen shots.
If blocking somebody doesn't stop the bullying, you can report information technology to the police or contact your internet service provider. You tin show them whatever evidence you've managed to collect to aid them investigate the state of affairs.
The charity Bullying Britain take lots of advice fact sheets nigh different types of cyber bullying, if you need more information.
Take you been discriminated against?
If the reason you're being harassed is because of who you are - for example, considering you're Black, gay or disabled, it could exist unlawful discrimination. If you've been discriminated confronting, you lot can take action under the Equality Act 2010.
Next steps
- Hate crime
- Harassment past creditors
- Harassment by a landlord
- Harassment under the Equality Deed 2010
- If you demand more than help
Assistance us better our harassment communication
If you came to our site today to look for information or advice about harassment, we'd like y'all to fill up in a brusk online questionnaire about your experience.
It should only take well-nigh 5 minutes. Notice out how you lot can help ameliorate our harassment advice
.
Source: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/taking-action-about-discrimination/taking-action-about-harassment/
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