More than half of Aussies surveyed witness or experience racism in community sport

More than half of Australians surveyed who play community sport report experiencing or witnessing racism, a new study shows.

The report, from a survey canvassing the experiences of Australians playing community sport, found 30 per cent of participants had directly experienced racism, with a further 26 per cent having witnessed it.

As a result, 20 per cent of those targeted reduced or changed their participation.

The survey is part of research led by Monash University in collaboration with Victoria University's Professor Ramon Spaaij, Melbourne University, VicHealth, Centre for Multicultural Youth’s CMSport, and Rob Hyatt from the Koorie Heritage Trust to help the Victorian community sport sector address racial discrimination.

Lead researcher Professor Ruth Jeanes, Head of the Monash School of Curriculum, Teaching and Inclusive Education in the Faculty of Education, said the findings show racism is prevalent in community sport.

“This isn’t about isolated incidents,” Professor Jeanes said.

“These numbers show racism is occurring regularly in community sport, with incidents ranging from overt abuse to subtle exclusion and bias.

“Community sport is celebrated for its contributions to physical and mental health, social connection and inclusion.

“Yet, for some, this ideal remains out of reach.”

The survey elicited responses from almost 350 Australians aged over 18 years who participated in a total of up to 50 community sports last year. VicHealth acting CEO Kris Cooney said the key to addressing the problem required a concerted community effort. “We must work together to create safe and welcoming sporting environments where people of all backgrounds feel safe to participate and be themselves,” she said. “Participation in local sport is good for everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing. “For people from multicultural and First Nations communities, the sense of belonging and social connection they get from community sport is particularly important.”

Centre for Multicultural Youth and CMSport CEO Carmel Guerra OAM said racism can be a huge barrier to participation in sport, and is particularly concerning given how important community sport is to forging connection and a sense of belonging for new migrants. "The findings give a really clear picture of the prevalence of racism in community sport in Australia, which is sadly unsurprising to us and echoes what multicultural youth have been telling us for many years,” she said. “We're proud to be working with the sector to proactively tackle the issue of racism head on and create more inclusive, culturally safe environments for young people and their families to participate in community sport.” 

Fast facts

• Some 30 per cent of participants in community sport have directly experienced racism, with a further 26 per cent having witnessed it.
• As a result, 20 per cent of those targeted reduced or changed their participation in community sport.
• Incidents of racism intensify within competitive contexts, with 86 per cent of respondents who had witnessed or experienced racism reporting it had occurred during a competitive game or tournament.
• Some 83 per cent of occurrences identified someone from an opposition club as the perpetrator of racism, and 47 per cent of respondents encountered racism perpetrated by a spectator or bystander.
• Nearly two thirds of survey respondents chose not to report their experiences to clubs or governing bodies, often fearing that their claims would be dismissed or they would face victimisation.
• For those who did report, satisfaction with the outcomes was low, with only a third expressing any degree of contentment with the process.
• More than two thirds lived in Victoria, with 73 per cent identifying as white.

If this content has raised issues for you, please visit antiracismvictoria.com.au/support-services for support and resources, or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.