This book brings together literature, empirical research findings from two projects, and policy analysis to examine how some forces in England have adopted the approach of treating crimes against sex workers as hate crimes. This book identifies some of the benefits of the hate crime approach to crimes against sex workers, both operationally and for some of the victims of crime. The authors argue that the hate crime approach should not be seen as an alternative to decriminalisation of sex work but can provide a pathway to achieving more sensitive but robust policing of crimes against sex workers and support in accessing justice through the criminal justice system. They also examine the broader context of hate crime policy and scholarship as they debate the relevance, problems and merits of the sex work hate crime model. The book provides another dimension to current theoretical and policy debates about widening definitions and law around hate crime to include other groups beyond existing protected characteristics.

Dr Rosie Campbell OBE is a freelance consultant focused on applied research and third sector leadership. She describes herself as a pracademic having moved between research roles and managing frontline sex work support services, delivering and developing sex work projects and contributing to multi agency responses to sex work. She has been involved in researching sex work in a range of sectors and geographical areas of the UK for over two decades.

Teela Sanders is Professor of Criminology at the University of Leicester, UK. She is a leading international scholar in research on the intersections between gender, regulation, governance and crime, specifically in the sex industry. Sanders has written 8 books, edited 10, and has over 60 peer reviewed journal articles, based on research projects funded from major research councils

Chapter 1: Why Is Hate Crime a Helpful Concept to Respond to Violence Against Sex Workers?.- Chapter 2: What is hate crime in the context of sex work?.- Chapter 3: Sex work, crimes and policing in the UK.- Chapter 4: The inclusion of sex work in the policing of hate crime: The Merseyside Model.- Chapter 5: Everyday hate directed at sex workers.- Chapter 6: The invisible victim: barriers to accessing criminal justice.- Chapter 7: Developing, implementing and maintaining the model.- Chapter 8: Conclusions: Implications for law, policing and scholarship.