An Acceptable Prejudice? Homophobic Violence and Harassment in Northern Ireland

Author(s): Neil Jarman and Alex Tennant
Document Type: Report
Year: 2003
Publisher: Institute for Conflict Research
Place of Publication: Belfast
ISBN: 0-9541898-3-3
Subject Area(s): Equality Issues; Crime and Criminal Justice
Client Group(s) : Victims

Abbreviations: NI - Northern Ireland, LGB - Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual

Background to the Research

  • Homophobic harassment and violence have come to the fore over the past year, with the police seeking assistance from within the gay community in relation to at least two murders in Belfast. As well as extremely violent assault, homophobic harassment involves attacks on LGB people and those perceived to be LGB. Such harassment occurs in people's homes, in the street, in the workplace, in schools and in social settings and can have a pernicious effect on a victim's sense of self, their confidence and health. Homophobic harassment has also been described as the 'last acceptable prejudice'.
  • Part of a larger project on hate crime, this research was funded by the Equality Directorate Research Branch of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

Research Approach

  • The research involved four main elements:
    • A review of previous research on homophobic harassment in England, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland and NI;
    • An analysis of all homophobic incidents recorded by the PSNI from July 2000 to December 2002;
    • A survey of the LGB communities in NI to determine their experiences of homophobic harassment and violence;
    • A series of interviews with individuals working with LGB organisations and statutory agencies.

Main Findings

Police Data

  • 120 incidents were recorded in the time period, although the figures declined in each of the two years following the first 6 month period. 90% of the incidents were reported by men; 10% by women.
  • 69% of cases involved verbal abuse and 45% involved some form of physical abuse. In 33% of cases the victim reported previous experience of homophobic harassment.
  • 52% of cases were recorded in Belfast and 16% in Derry. 68% occurred in the street and 44% in or near the victim's home. The perpetrator was described as a young male in 63% of cases, as an adult or a youth in 58% of the cases and in 64% of cases there was more than one perpetrator.

Survey

  • 186 responses were received from people from all areas of NI; 67% were male and 33% were female. Over 40% of respondents had no knowledge of the main organisations representing the LGB population. The survey was therefore successful in accessing people outside the most active and engaged sections of the LGB community.
  • Harassment and violence was revealed as a serious problem, with 82% having experience of harassment and 55% having been subjected to homophobic violence. Males were more likely to have suffered both harassment and violence than females.
  • The percentage of people who had experienced violence and harassment was higher than indicated by comparable surveys in Great Britain and Ireland. Also, many people reported repeated experiences of both harassment and violence.
  • Verbal abuse was the most common form of harassment, experienced by 71% of respondents. Being followed on foot (27%), being subjected to graffiti (19%) and offensive phone calls (18%) were other common experiences.
  • Being the target of a missile (35%), being subjected to assault (30%) or attempted assault (29%) and being spat at (18%) were the most common forms of violence.
  • Harassment and violence were most commonly experienced in the street, followed by outside and leaving an LGB social club or bar and in or near their home. Perpetrators were stereotypically young males in their late teens and early twenties; in over 80% of cases the perpetrator was acting in consort with other young males.
  • Only 42% of those who experienced harassment reported it to the police, with reasons given including a belief that the police would not or could not help, that the incident was too trivial, that the police were homophobic, and that the people were reluctant to reveal their sexual orientation.
  • Homophobic harassment generated feelings including fear, anger and depression, with many feeling unsafe in public places - only 27% felt safe on a street at night and 48% did not feel safe in a non-LGB bar.
  • Strategies which were adopted to avoid being targeted included avoiding holding hands in public (69%), avoiding leaving an LGB venue alone (44%) and avoiding appearing like a lesbian, gay or bisexual (36%).

Interviews

  • Other topics raised in the interviews included the growing number of homophobic incidents involving a serious level of violence; a level of fatalism that harassment was a fact of life for LGB people; an ongoing concern about police behaviour relating to cottaging and cruising; a need to improve recognition of homophobia and LGB issues within the police service; a need to address homophobic bullying in schools; and the recognition of the need for a wider campaign to raise awareness of homophobia and related issues.

Conclusions/Recommendations

  • A number of recommendations are made:
    • A general campaign to raise awareness of homophobia and homophobic violence is needed;
    • The inclusion of homophobic harassment in hate crime legislation;
    • The extension of current police systems for reporting and recording homophobic incidents and improvements in the amount of information on homophobic incidents;
    • Increased awareness of homophobia among the statutory sector;
    • The inclusion of the issue of homophobic bullying within the, and through the, education system;
    • LGB groups working in conjunction with relevant bodies to develop a personal safety strategy;
    • Increased resourcing for LGB organisations and LGB issues if attempts to counter homophobia are to have any impact.

 


 

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