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27 January 2011

The update of the Good Relations Indicators published today, presents a range of statistics relating to community relations including numbers of hate crimes; attitudinal data on Protestant/Catholic relations and levels of prejudice towards ethnic minorities. The purpose of the indicators is to monitor the state of good relations over time with the baseline for the majority of the indicators being set at 2005.

A selection of the findings are:

Integration

Eighty-eight per cent thought better relations between Protestants and Catholics would be achieved through more mixing of the two communities rather than separation.

Support for mixed-religion neighbourhoods continues to be high, with eight in 10 saying they would favour living in neighbourhoods with a mix of Protestants and Catholics.

Mixed-religion workplaces are also favoured; in 2009 92% said they would prefer a mixed-religion workplace, the same proportion as the previous year.

However, the level of support for mixed-religion schooling has fallen. In 2009, 62% said they would prefer to send their children to a mixed-religion school compared to 69% in 2008.

Despite this, in 2009/10 there was a further small increase in the proportion of pupils enrolled at integrated schools, with 6.7% of pupils enrolled at grant-aided schools now being taught in integrated schools.

In 2009/10, approximately four in 10 schools and one in 10 pupils were involved in joint community relations programmes. Proportions of schools and pupils participating in such programmes have changed little since the 2005/06 baseline.

In 2009, 69% agreed that members of minority ethnic communities should be encouraged to participate in public life. Levels of support for this matter have tended to fluctuate and have failed to return or go beyond the 2005 baseline figure of 75%.

Shared spaces

In 2009, 90% described their neighbourhood, 86% their workplace and 94% their children’s school as somewhere they feel they could be open about their own cultural identity. This positive perception of shared space replicates that seen in previous years.

However, in 2008/09 there were 69 more claims to the Fair Employment Tribunal compared to the previous year, representing a 44% increase from 157 claims to 226.

In 2009, fewer Catholics said they would avoid applying for a job in a mainly Protestant area than in any other year since the 2005 baseline; 28% in 2009 compared to 37% in 2005.

Similarly the proportion of Protestants saying they would avoid applying for a job in a mainly Catholic area is at its lowest since the 2005 baseline; 27% in 2009 compared to 36% in 2005.

Intimidation & prejudice

From 2008 to 2009, there was a decrease in the number of attacks on churches/chapels, whereas for all other types of symbolic premises the number of attacks increased. The greatest increase in attacks was recorded for Orange Halls; there were over a third more attacks in 2009 than in 2008; 77 compared to 57.

There were fewer criminal damage offences motivated by racism, religion and disability in 2009/10 than in 2008/09. In contrast criminal damage offences motivated by homophobia were up slightly (+3 offences) as were those motivated by sectarianism (+75 offences, an increase of 15%).

Casualties as a result of paramilitary-style attacks have more than doubled - in 2009 there were 122 casualties of paramilitary style shootings and assaults compared to 56 the previous year.

In 2009/10 the numbers presenting as homeless due to intimidation was up by a third on the 2008/09 figure; 774 compared to 580.

Amongst those presenting as homeless due to intimidation, the majority (75%) cited paramilitary related intimidation as the reason for their state of homelessness. The number of people citing racial intimidation more than doubled from 2008/09 to 2009/10 and was the second most common reason (12%) for presenting as homeless amongst those claiming intimidation.

In 2009, six in 10 thought there was more prejudice against minority ethnic communities now than there was five years ago. This figure represents a more negative view of the level of prejudice than in 2008.

Thirty-two percent admit to being prejudiced against people of a minority ethnic background, this 2009 figure maintains the increase in levels of prejudice first identified in 2007.

Culture & Traditions

In 2009, amongst Protestants the majority (95%) reported having either a little or a lot of respect for the Catholic community’s culture and traditions. Likewise, 95% of Catholics said they respected the Protestant community’s culture and traditions a little or a lot. The respective figures at baseline in 2005 were 87% and 92%.

In 2009, just over a quarter (27%) reported being annoyed by loyalist emblems with the same proportion being annoyed by republican emblems. In both cases, levels of reported annoyance are up five percentage points from 2008.

Although not significantly different, a slightly smaller proportion of people in 2009 than in 2008 said they knew quite a bit about the culture of some minority ethnic communities living in NI (22% and 25% respectively).

In 2009, 18% believed that the culture of Irish Travellers is more respected than it once was; this is a significant increase on the proportion (12%) saying this at baseline in 2005.

Notes to editors:

1. The report is available on the OFMDFM Research Branch website at http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/index/equality/equalityresearch/research-publications/publication-az.htm#anc-g
2. Media enquiries to OFMDFM Press Office on 028 9037 8142. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Office via pager number 07699 715 440.