FAQ for Illinois v Hate

Illinois v Hate (IL v Hate) is a non-emergency hate incident reporting helpline and online portal to provide support and resources to individuals and communities affected by hate. It is not a crisis line and is not affiliated with or connected to law enforcement. Illinois v Hate is a project of the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes. Its purpose is to:

• Help hate crime victims receive trauma-informed assistance and support. 

• Provide better hate crime reporting and data collection in Illinois. 

• Encourage state & local authorities to improve their approach to responding to hate crimes.  

• Improve outcomes and justice for victims of hate. 

Illinois v Hate is not associated with law enforcement. If you would like to file a police report or pursue criminal charges, please contact your local police department. While we encourage people to report hate incidents to law enforcement, we respect individuals’ decisions.

You can contact Illinois v Hate online, by completing an incident report on this website, or you may contact the statewide helpline. 

- Report hate incidents online at any time by visiting cdhc.illinois.gov/IllinoisvHate

- Report to the Illinois v Hate Helpline at 877-IL-v-HATE (877-458-4283), Monday-Friday, 12 PM to 9 PM, to connect with a call specialist. 

Callers will connect with aspecialist who will collect key information regarding your experience of a hate or bias related incicent and help connect you to potential supportive resources for persons impacted by hate.

Accessibility is important to Illinois v Hate: Helpline callers may receive assistance in English and Spanish or be connected to an interpreter to report an incident. Site visitors will find language translation options for online reporting and may utilize helpline assistance for direct support.

When you call Illinois v Hate during its hours of operation you will speak with a helpline call specialist. 

• A recording will alert you that you've reached IL v Hate Helpline. You will be able to choose language preference. 

• After you choose your preferred language, you will be connected to a qualified call specialist, who will be ready to listen and help. 

• The call specialist will ask a few questions to confirm that you are calling to report a hate incident and that you are feeling safe to make the report. They will share basic information and then ask a series of questions about the incident.

• You may choose what information to share with us, including: 

    

            - Your name (you may choose to remain anonymous) 

            - Your phone number and/or email

            - A description of the incident that you experienced or witnessed

            - Why you believe you were targeted, based on your actual or perceived identity

            - If you’ve reported the incident to law enforcement

            - If you are looking for support or options about next steps, or both

Yes, reports can be made anonymously. Whether or not you report anonymously, your identity will not be disclosed. The only exception to non-disclosure is if a report is made of child abuse, elder abuse, or activities indicating an imminent risk of violence.

All are welcome to call if they feel they or someone they know have been targeted for a hate incident and would like to be connected to resources. All persons who have experienced a hate incident in Illinois have the right to report, regardless of citizenship.

Personal and identifying information of individuals reporting hate incidents or crimes is confidential and private. Illinois v Hate and the CDHC do not reveal your name, contact information, or other identifying information unless required to do so by law.

High-level data from this Helpline, such as number of incidents, hate incident types, their locations, and trends in reporting – without callers' personal information - will be shared with the public, policymakers, government agencies, and community-based organizations to help improve responses to hate, expand resources, and direct funding and policy.

Your personal information is kept confidential; Illinois v Hate does not disclose your information unless required to do so by law. Your incident report is not connected to police or law enforcement. Read the Illinois privacy statement here: https://www.illinois.gov/about/privacy.html

It is important to report hate incidents. Reporting hate sends a message to both perpetrators and impacted communities that the community will not tolerate these kinds of incidents.

Reporting hate allows people to access helpful resources, such as the Illinois Attorney General’s Crime Victims Compensation program, which assists victims in paying bills and expenses that result from acts of violence.

Additionally, reporting provides valuable data that may improve responses to hate; expand resources; and direct funding and policy.

Read more ways to report a hate crime to law enforcement here.