Forms of Racist Incidents

Racial incidents include:

• Persistent harassment which may continue for months or even years. This may include verbal abuse, graffiti and criminal damage to property. Such campaigns of harassment are usually carried out by people living in the same area, and may often be focused on the victims' home and the immediate neighbourhood. The impact of such repeat victimisation may be as devastating as that of a physical assault. Much of the racist bullying in schools would also fall within this category of persistent harassment.

• A dispute, which may initially have no racist overtones, becoming racialised. This may develop from a relatively trivial incident such as a dispute over a parking space or the noise of children's games on a housing estate. Racist insults and abuse may quickly inflame the initial incident.

• Random assaults, which may result in serious injury or even death.

Lemos, G. (2000) Racial Harassment: Action on the Ground. Joseph Rowntree Foundation