Unwelcome, looked down on and excluded: Australia's racism hotspots
- by SBS
- Jul 16, 2024
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Schools were also a location where people say they experienced racism.
Source: SBS News "We don't know how it looks, how it feels, we don't know what we can do about it — that's the insidious problem of the silencing effect of racism."
The research targeted people of specific multicultural backgrounds, so researchers say the data may not be statistically representative of the whole population but "robust" quantitative insights can still be gleaned from the large number of responses.
'We don't want them to hate us'
As well as an online survey, the research also collected stories from people in 27 focus groups.
Researchers found many were concerned about the potential negative effects of reporting racism on their employment, their residence status, or even their acceptance in society.
Some were also concerned about the possible consequences for the perpetrator and that they could lose their job.
One person in a Chinese focus group said they had come to accept a "little bit of tough treatment".
"It's part of a learning curve and we also don't know our rights."
Another Somali-born woman said: "Don't talk bad, don't talk about racism in this country. They might hate you. It's not my country."
Don't talk bad, don't talk about racism in this country. They might hate you, it's not my country.
Anonymous respondent, Victoria University study
This was echoed by a woman in a Muslim focus group who said not rocking the boat was a sentiment that had been embedded in her growing up in Australia: "We don't want them to hate us".
But she said this was now changing, especially in the younger generation.
"When my mum says 'don't make a big deal', I say, 'no, I will make a big deal, I know my rights.'"
The reasons why people don't report racism
Almost everyone surveyed (90.6 per cent) was deterred from reporting racism by a sense of resignation, and felt like nothing would change if they reported.
More than eight in 10 also felt discouraged by what they saw as a "too difficult" reporting process that "takes too much effort", and by concerns they wouldn't be taken seriously.
The fourth most common reason for not reporting was concern about "possible negative consequences".
"People don't report because the costs of reporting are too high, and the outcomes are too low," Peucker said.
People don't report because the costs of reporting are too high, and the outcomes are too low.
Associate Professor Mario Peucker, Victoria University
Of those who reported racism in Victoria in the past, 77.5 per cent were disappointed in the outcome.
Around 70 per cent said they felt distressed during the process.
Peucker believes the way racism is reported should change, and more support should be provided, to tailor it to the needs of those impacted.
The survey found 60.7 per cent of respondents would prefer to report racism by speaking to someone in person, while 56.3 per cent wanted to report it online.
Most people who reported racism did so through internal systems such as those at their workplaces or schools, or by complaining to police. Very few had heard of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC), and only 19.3 per cent had reported racism to this organisation.
Reporting can have a positive impact on the person
Despite the overall negative reporting experiences, the report found making a complaint could still have a positive impact on the person, with 64.2 per cent stating they felt better afterwards.
The report suggested a partial explanation for this may be an individual's sense of pride in breaking the silencing effect of racism.
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