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HAte CrIme

be achieved by creating a world that FIgHtIng HAte CrIme –
was more responsive to the needs of
the child. He was engaged in social
art, where the medium is being used to Are You ’wItH SAm‘?
convey an ethical message, not simply
about how one should care for and The national learning disability charity Dimensions is
protect children but how societies spearheading a campaign – ‘I’m with Sam’ – to fght back against
should treat all vulnerable groups.
learning disability and autism hate crime. Thirteen organisations
Sense of community have joined them so far and there has already been some
When Gross was artist-in-residence success in working with the Crown Prosecution Service to react
in Aberdeen, a signifcant number of
children attending the Camphill School more robustly to these crimes. Simon Jarrett reports
were drawn from some of the most
socially deprived districts in
Glasgow with which Joan Eardley – “ y children and I are from police, the criminal justice
a distinguished Scottish artist – would M all disabled… we system, local authorities, schools and
have been familiar. Both Eardley and have been sworn at, colleges. Some were even made to
Gross succeeded in persuading threatened by neighbours feel that what had happened was their
the viewer to treat children as and we have had them try to own fault.
serious subjects by portraying them with hit us with their vehicles.”
compassion and without sentimentality. The campaign has also uncovered
Eardley’s paintings demonstrate that, This was just one of many depressing incidences of so-called ‘mate-crime’,
notwithstanding personal circumstance, testimonies received by the ‘I’m with where manipulative individuals prey on
the child possesses an inner resilience Sam’ campaign, led by not-for-proft people with learning disabilities by
that transcends that circumstance, learning disability organisation befriending them, and then extorting
however disadvantageous. She was Dimensions, as they investigated the their money and possessions.
particularly attracted by the extent of learning disability and autism The ‘friendships’ often come with
friendliness and community spirit in hate crime in England and Wales. an underlying threat of violence,
these districts. In different ways both Other respondents testifed to threats leaving the person trapped in a
Eardley and Gross were commenting to their lives, being spat at, coercive relationship. In one case more
upon the importance of a sense of school bullying and violence, than £2,000 was extorted from a
community. By the time of Eardley’s verbal and physical attacks, young man by the person he believed
death in 1963 many of the old public ridicule, theft and vandalism to be his best friend, and who had
tenement districts had been levelled to against their property and possessions. even accompanied him on holiday.
the ground and residents transferred to Many did not feel it worth reporting the He was sold worthless goods at vastly
soulless high-rise estates. In the process crimes against them, or felt too scared infated prices, given ‘loans’ at
that strong sense of community that had to do so. Those who did report often astronomical interest rates and
so appealed to Eardley had gone. experienced an ineffective response Continued overleaf t

Eardley differed from Gross in that she
tended to focus almost exclusively on Strength in numbers – joining Dimensions
the child, whereas Gross invariably sets as partners in the ‘I’m with Sam’ anti-hate
the child in the context of a relationship
with one or more adults. Whilst Eardley crime campaign are 13 organisations:
stressed the independent identity of the
child, Gross highlighted the importance • Beyond Words
of inter-dependence – an essential • Ambitious about Autism
feature of life in a Camphill community. • Autism Together
The life-sharing aspect of Camphill
community life is one of its defning • National Forum of People with Learning Disabilities
features, as this ensures that the • Choice Support
principles of dignity and mutual respect • Learning Disability England
can be meaningfully translated into • CMG – Care Management Group
practice. And it is this mutual
relationship that provides the cohesive • Stop Hate UK
force that binds together the different • National Valuing Families Forum
elements of a community: it is the • Inclusion North
mortar without which the communal • Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities
edifce would collapse.
• The National Autistic Society
Reference • VODG – Voluntary Organisations Disability Group
Robin Jackson (2008) Hermann Gross:
art and soul. Edinburgh: Floris Books. Box 1

www.cl-initiatives.co.uk Community Living Vol 30 No 3 | Spring 2017 17