Discrimination report - Perception of behaviour is important

If people do not wish to be gratuitously insulting, they need to be aware of how their behaviour may be perceived. Where interactions between people are involved, perception is reality.

For a people who spent centuries suffering discrimination, it is disconcerting to find that 12% of people over the age of 18 in this country feel that they have been discriminated against during past two years, according to the Quarterly National Household Survey published yesterday. The finding was essentially unchanged from a similar survey six years earlier.

People of non-white ethnic backgrounds reported the highest rate of discrimination at 29%, while the rate among foreign-nationals was 20%, and 18% of non-Catholics felt that they were discriminated against in the past couple of years. Those who felt discriminated against felt that race was the main factor in 22% of the cases, and age in 19% of incidents.

Some 7% reported that they had experienced discrimination in accessing services, while 6% reported work-related discrimination. Bullying or harassment accounted for 28% of the workplace discrimination, and 24% identified their working conditions.

The survey felt it necessary to note that the discrimination reported was based on the perception of the respondents. It does not necessary mean that there was actual discrimination, but the figures are a warning that the perception does exist.