New research reveals vast majority of racist incidents go unreported

A new research report launched today looking at ways to reduce reporting barriers and improve support services for Victorians who experience racism has found that the vast majority of racist incidents in Victoria go unreported.

The ‘Understanding reporting barriers and support needs for those experiencing racism in Victoria‘ report is the result of a research project led by Victoria University Associate Professor Mario Peucker in collaboration with the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) and the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), with support from the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation.

Informed by a survey of more than 700 Victorians and 27 peer-led focus groups, the report reveals startling statistics about how often racism goes unreported across the state. More than 75% of survey respondents had experienced racism with two-thirds having experienced it in the past 12 months, yet only 16% reported it.

The most common setting for experiencing racism was employment (57%), followed by shopping centres/shops (50%) and public transport (38%).

The most common reason for not reporting an incident of racism was a feeling of hopelessness that nothing would change (91%), followed by a view that reporting is too difficult (83%), concerns about not being taken seriously (83%), worries about negative consequences (76%) and not knowing where to report (75%). Less than 30% thought there were enough adequate reporting options in Victoria.

These findings point to the urgent need to raise community awareness of reporting pathways and improve access to support services for Victorians who experience racism. The report suggests a series of concrete actions for stakeholders in a range of sector to achieve better outcomes. These include improving racial literacy in schools and workplaces, fostering community-led anti-racism initiatives, and building the capacity of organisations and institutions to provide anti-racism support.

The report was launched this morning at Fitzroy Town Hall with speakers including ICV President Adel Salman, Victoria University Professor Khalid Moinuddin, and ECCV Deputy Co-Chair Gabrielle Marchetti.

In attendance were Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Ro Allen, Victorian Multicultural Commission Chairperson Vivienne Nguyen AM, members of the Victorian Anti-Racism Taskforce as well as a number of community leaders and sector stakeholders.

Quotes attributable to ECCV Chairperson Eddie Micallef:

“Our migrant and refugee communities hold the key to shaping more effective anti-racism policies and strategies. ECCV is proud to partner with Victoria University and the Islamic Council of Victoria on this new report centering the experiences and insights of people impacted by racism. By better understanding what our diverse communities need, we can empower them to call out racism, report it and take the steps to seek support.”

Quotes attributable to Victoria University Associate Professor Mario Peucker:

“Listening to and centering community voices is crucial for any advancement in reducing racism. Anti-racism must be guided by their voices. Our report captures the experiences of hundreds of people who continue to be negatively impacted by racism, while offering proactive ways to encourage people to speak out and ultimately improve anti-racism support.”