Beacon Project

Personal Safety in Interaction

with Others

Resource sheets
 Resource Sheet One: Consequences of Discrimination
(Note: These are suggestions only and will need adapting to specific situations)
Short term  Long 
term

Self

(physical) Physically unsafe (abuse) Stress­related 

illnesses
Headaches, trouble sleeping (stress­related) Eating disorders
(mental & Think they are unwanted Learns to build 
resilience
 emotional) Feel upset, hurt, angry, rejected Personality change
Poor mental health 
(depression)
Anxiety disorders
(social) Excluded, alienated, withdraw Carry a 
grudge against others
Behave aggressively  Discriminate 
against others
Not support others Trouble relating to 
others
Problems trusting 
others
Inability to form 
relationships
Educational 
failure, crime 
(Spiritual) Decrease in self­worth Cannot meet 
personal life goals
Lose sense of meaning in life Lose belief in self. 
Attitudes/values to others change
Lose respect for self and others
Not able to express individuality 

Others

Behaviour copied Behaviour 
normalised and 
 Lack of understanding about others accepted
Whole family feels judged Can’t tolerate 
difference
Fear of difference Family break­ups, 
moving 
Support others  Limited ability to 
form relationships 
with others
Encourage 
stereotypical 
behaviour 
Develop empathy 
for others 

Society

Tension between groups with opposing views Rundown 
communities
Break down in community relationships Bad reputation
Lack of support and community involvementIntolerant community
Negative feelings towards groups, hate Crime increases
Less social 
cohesion: 
­Breakdown in 
social capital
Legal issues 
(HRC) complaints
Community 
doesn’t use skills & 
abilities of its 
members 
effectively
Lack of social 
justice. 
(Community is 
unfair, not 
inclusive, 
intolerant). 
Resource 2: Human Right Commission Research into Discrimination
in NZ
 UMR Research LTD, January 2004. 
Available from www.hrc.co.nz

Table 1. People in NZ who are perceived to be most discriminated against. 

MOST DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN NEW ZEALAND

Which group of people do you think are generally most discriminated against in New Zealand today?

1st Mention Total Mentions

% %
RACE 58.8 103.4
Asians 26.3 36.8
Pakeha / White people / Europeans 14.1 17.2
Māori 6.5 13.9
Recent immigrants 4.9 8.7
Ethnic minorities in general 4.1 10.1
Pacific peoples 1.6 9.7
Everyone except Māori 0.5 0.7
Arabs 0.4 1.6
Indians 0.3 4.1
Over-stayers 0.1 0.1
Australians - 0.4
Everyone except white people - 0.1
INCOME LEVEL 3.2 4.7
Poor/Low income 2.7 4.0
Middle income earners 0.5 0.7
DISABLED PEOPLE 2.8 4.3
OLDER PEOPLE / SUPERANNUITANTS 2.4 5.2
PEOPLE ON WELFARE /
UNEMPLOYED 2.0 3.4
MEN 1.5 1.8
White middle class males 1.3 1.6
Solo fathers 0.1 0.1
Men 0.1 0.1
YOUTH 1.2 2.8
EVERYONE / MOST PEOPLE IN NEW
ZEALAND 1.2 1.2
REFUGEES 0.9 3.6
GAYS / LESBIANS 0.9 2.2
Gays / Homosexual men - specific male reference 0.5 1.3
Gay people generally 0.4 0.9
WOMEN 0.5 1.7
Women 0.5 1.6
Working women - 0.1
SELF IMPROVERS / ACHIEVERS 0.4 0.7
AVERAGE KIWI 0.4 0.4
RELIGION 0.3 2.6
Christians 0.3 0.5
Muslims - 2.1
OCCUPATIONAL 0.2 0.4
Rural 0.1 0.3
Police 0.1 0.1
UNEDUCATED PEOPLE 0.1 0.4

MOST DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN NEW ZEALAND (CONTINUED)

Which group of people do you think are generally most discriminated against in New Zealand
today?

1st Mention Total Mentions

% %
PEOPLE WHO CAN’T SPEAK
ENGLISH 0.1 0.4
THE FAMILY UNIT 0.1 0.3
SMOKERS 0.1 0.3
AUCKLANDERS 0.1 0.1
SOLO PARENTS 0.1 0.1
THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT 0.1 0.1
PEOPLE WITH HEALTH PROBLEMS - 0.8
MOTORISTS - 0.3
THOSE WITH TATTOOS - 0.1
CONSERVATIONISTS - 0.1
CRIMINALS - 0.1
NONE 6.7 13.3
UNSURE 15.2 30.4

Base: all respondents (n=750)

Multiple response (first and second + other mentions recorded separately and totalled in second column).
*Note those who mentioned unsure first would not have been asked their second mention.
 PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION RANKINGS

I would like your opinion on discrimination against different groups in today’s society. Would you say there is a great deal
of discrimination, some discrimination, only a little discrimination or none at all against the following?

TOTAL TOTAL
A Great Only a None At Unsure /
Some A Great Deal Only A Little +
Deal Little All Depends
+ Some None At All
% % % % % % %
Asians 36 42 78 13 7 20 2
Recent immigrants 28 44 72 16 7 23 5
Refugees 26 44 70 18 6 24 6
People who are overweight 24 44 68 21 9 30 2
People on welfare 21 45 66 22 8 30 4
Gays and Lesbians 15 43 58 27 11 38 4
Pacific peoples 10 47 57 29 9 38 5
People with disabilities 13 42 55 29 15 44 1
Māori 8 45 53 27 16 43 4
Older people 10 36 46 33 19 52 2
Women 4 34 38 33 27 60 2

Base: All respondents (n=750)

Table 2.  Perceived levels of discrimination amongst groups of people in New 
Zealand:  

Table 3:  Comparison of perceived discrimination between Dec 2000 and January 
2004. 
 B

COMPARISON – TRACKED DISCRIMINATION LEVELS

I would like your opinion on discrimination against different groups in today’s society. Would you
say there is a great deal of discrimination, some discrimination, only a little discrimination or none
at all against the following?

TOTAL A GREAT DEAL + SOME

DEC 00 DEC 01 JAN 03 JAN 04
% % % %
Asians 73 73 79 78
Recent immigrants - 68 77 72
Refugees - 68 72 70
People who are overweight 72 65 65 68
People on welfare 75 70 68 66
Gays and Lesbians 74 65 61 58
Pacific peoples 71 65 65 57
People with disabilities 61 55 53 55
Māori 70 62 57 53
Older people* 53 48 49 46
Women 50 44 41 38

Base: All respondents (n=750)

*Previously ‘The Elderly’
 Resource Sheet 3
Note: these are suggestions for strategies to increase personal safety in
discriminatory situations – they will need adaptation to specific situations
Personal strategies
• Learning to be more assertive
• Using self talk to reject blame or guilt
• Seeking help
• Knowing help seeking procedures
• Knowing legal rights, laws and school policies
• Learning more about why people are intolerant

Interpersonal strategies

• Participating in support groups for minorities

• Mixing with a diverse range of people to gain deeper understanding of 

difference

• Support discriminated person to seek help

• Standing up for a person who is being discriminated against.

• Informing a responsible adult about situations of discrimination you witness

• Participating in classroom activities to find out more about diversity 

• Promoting dialogue with family and others about diversity and tolerance of it

• Challenge ideas about discrimination when communicating with others

Societal Strategies

• Set up support groups for minorities 

• Implement strategies to assist inclusion of minorities in the community

• Have support networks operating in the school community

• Educate the wider community about the diversity within the school 

community and issues around social justice and students rights to be safe at 

school

• Have festivals that involve diverse groups as a celebration of diversity
• Provide positive role­models in the community

• Enforce laws and legislation and school policies and ensure the community is 

aware of these

• Educate the community/ society about social justice through media campaigns, 

neighbour hood groups, discussion forums etc

• Ensure easy access to helping services

• Advocate and lobby to access funds and facilities to encourage inclusiveness in 

the community