Most incidents go unreported

Most incidents of discrimination go unreported, either because the victims believe nothing can come out of a report or because they are embarrassed to do so, according to a survey on discrimination.

The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality targeted 400 people who said they were discriminated over the past two years on grounds of race, religious belief, sexual orientation, disability, age, gender or a combination of different reasons.

They were asked to indicate where the discrimination occur­red, whether they reported it and what they felt could be done to encourage reporting, among other questions.

Only 10 per cent of respondents said they had filed an official report and the vast majority admitted they stopped at sharing what had happened with friends and family or kept it entirely to themselves.

Those discriminated against because of disability were the most likely to report (30 per cent), followed by people who were discriminated against because of their age (25 per cent) and sexual orientation (19 per cent).

Victims of discrimination on racial or religious grounds were the least likely to file a report with only a couple of reports being made for both types of incidents.

The majority of respondents across the board said the key to encouraging reporting would be to give more media attention to discrimination and to launch a public educational campaign.

One of the main problem areas listed in the survey is public transport, particularly with those claiming discrimination because of race. Respondents also said they were discriminated against when seeking employment or accessing a place of entertainment.

Those who claimed multiple discrimination listed public transport as being the biggest problem area, followed by discrimination at the workplace and when seeking employment.

Many respondents who said they were victimised because of their age indicated they were sexually harassed or refused employment. Also listing the workplace as a main problem area were those who said they were discriminated against because of their gender, particularly by being ignored, verbally harassed or refused work.

Those who said they were discriminated because of sexual orientation said the incidents mainly occurred in places of entertainment, at school or in their neighbourhood. The majority said they experienced verbal abuse and shared their experiences with friends or family but only eight out of 50 said they reported the incident.