Piotr Godzisz

Birmingham City University | BCU · School of Social Sciences

Using data from a cross-national survey conducted on representative samples of populations from 10 European countries ( n = 10,766), the present study is the first one to empirically measure the validity of Christie’s influential ideal victim model. We use a range of scenarios built around common types of anti-LGBT violence to verify the extent to...

Scotland’s Hate Crime Bill has reignited debates on freedom of expression and the need for such laws. The authors discuss the bill's strengths and weaknesses, and lessons for other parts of the UK

Despite high levels of societal homophobia, Western Balkan countries have recently passed laws proscribing anti-LGBT violence. The laws, however, are rarely used, as these countries report few or no recorded cases. The question is: Why do Western Balkan countries legislate against homophobia, but then fail to operationalize that legislation? Hate s...

Attitudes More than seven out of ten respondents in the 10 EU member states (Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom) included in the Call It Hate survey agree that LGBT people should be free to live their lives as they wish. There are significant differences between countries in the...

Seven out of ten respondents (70 per cent) agree that lesbians, gay men and bisexual people should be free to live their own lives as they wish. Attitudes towards transgender people are slightly less favourable. There is a significant level of social distance between respondents and LGBT people. Poles would more readily accept a lesbian as a neigh...

Between 2005 and 2015 the Polish government stepped up efforts to counter violence based on sexual orientation, but the legal framework remained unchanged: Unlike in the case of racist violence, the homophobic motivation of a crime does not attract a higher penalty. Recognizing sexual orientation hate crime in some areas (e.g. police training) but...