1 IN 5 BLACK STUDENTS IN NUS SURVEY HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF RACE HATE

18% of Black* students responding to a National Union of Students (NUS) survey on hate crime have been the victim of at least one racial hate incident during their current studies according to a report of the survey’s findings. The most common types of hate incident were verbal abuse, threats of violence and threatening behaviour.

The findings come after Crown Prosecution Service figures in February showed an increase in hate crime and nearly half (48%) of Asian and Asian British students to the NUS survey reported fear about being subject to racial prejudice. 42% of reported incidents took place in and around educational institutions. More than half (54%) of the victims of race hate incidents surveyed had considered leaving their courses as a result.

No Place for Hate: race and ethnicity, is the fourth in a series of research reports funded by the Home Office which analyses responses from over 9000 students across further and higher education.

The report calls on universities and colleges to take an active role in making campuses safer for potential targets of hate crime.

Kanja Sesay, NUS Black Students’ Officer, said:

“Racially motivated hate crimes have not gone away and universities cannot afford to turn a blind eye any longer.

“There are already significant barriers to going to university for Black students and if universities refuse to acknowledge that these problems exist on their campuses then those barriers will grow.”

ENDS

NUS Press Office - 07866 695010 / pressoffice@nus.org.uk

*NUS uses the term ‘Black students’ to refer collectively to all students with Asian, African, Caribbean and Arab heritage.

The report has 10 recommendations for universities and colleges:

• Demonstrate a firm commitment to equality and diversity
• Develop preventative and educational activity on prejudice and hate
• Prevent or mitigate perpetrator behaviour
• Establish multi-agency, joined-up approaches to tackling hate
• Strengthen existing support services
• Establish strong support networks
• Encourage reporting and maintain systematic documentation and data collection of hate incidents
• Provide flexible option for reporting
• Promote greater confidence in reporting mechanisms
• Clear guidance on existing legislative framework

The report is one of a series of four exploring hate crimes and hate incidents in further and higher education. The other three reports focus on: LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) students, disabled students and students with a religion or belief. All are available to download at http://www.nus.org.uk/research