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Work recommended by Advisory Group is “most comprehensive study ever”.

Scottish Ministers have welcomed the publication of a series of reports into sectarianism and the impacts of marches and parades in Scotland.

The work, as recommended by the independent Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, explored attitudes and experiences of sectarianism and the community impact of processions on Scottish society.

The research was discussed at a conference wich took place in Glasgow recently looking at how research is helping to shape our understanding of the nature and impact of sectarianism in modern Scotland.

The mix of quantitative and qualitative research was undertaken by independent researchers from Newcastle University, the University of Stirling, the University of Oxford and ScotCen Social Research.

Some of the findings within the Scottish Social Attitudes survey 2014 and the Community Experiences of Sectarianism reports include:

• Scotland is becoming more secular, with the percentage of Scots who do not identify with any religion increasing from 40% in 1999 to 54% in 2013
• The majority (88%) of those surveyed believe sectarianism is a problem in Scotland but most (69%) believe it is only a problem in certain areas
• Football is the most commonly mentioned factor people believe contributes to sectarianism in Scotland (88%)
• Those surveyed didn’t believe sectarianism happened everywhere, but did happen at specific places and times including football matches and Loyalist and Irish Republican processions.
• Gender was believed to play a big part in people’s experiences of sectarianism. Men were much more likely to be the instigators, with both sexes identified as being victims.
• Those surveyed believed families, schools and football clubs were best placed to tackle sectarianism.

In addition, the study into the Community Impact of Public Processions found that:

• Public processions have a significant meaning for those taking part but there is often a gap between the purpose and meaning around Loyalist and Irish Republican marches for participants, and how they were viewed by the wider public. Communities often associated them with community and social problems and sectarianism.
• These types of marches were viewed negatively by people surveyed in the locations they were held, compared to other types of processions, including community and political.
• Despite concerns around ‘spikes’ in antisocial or criminal behaviour following these types of procession, police data did not show evidence of this.
• Processions organised by the Scottish Defence League and emerging Loyalist organisations, often taking the form of ‘static’ demonstrations, created problems and significant disruption for local authorities and Police Scotland and upset to local communities.

Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Paul Wheelhouse said recently:

“The publication of this work today is a significant step forward in helping us build the most comprehensive understanding of the nature and impact of sectarianism in Scotland that we have ever had. It will undoubtedly play a huge part in influencing collective thinking and shaping how we tackle sectarianism going forward.

“This research also shows us that there is a gap between the perception of sectarianism and the reality of people’s experiences, and this is something I know the Advisory Group will be considering in the coming weeks and months.

“Sectarianism has no place in Scotland in the 21st century and we are fully committed to help rid Scotland of the prejudices of the past and tackling this problem which has blighted many communities. Religiously aggravated offending is falling and is now at its lowest level in a decade, last year alone there was a 15% decrease, but we will always seek to do all we can to stamp out this problem. That’s why the Scottish government has invested £9 million over three years to tackle this issue, including supporting 44 community-based projects in their efforts to tackle sectarianism in Scotland.

“The final report of the Advisory Group is due later this year and this will include advice on the future development of our agenda on tackling sectarianism. The Advisory Group will ensure that the findings from today’s publications are incorporated into their report to ensure that the advice they are giving is based on the best and most up-to-date information available.

“This government fully respects the right to hold marches and parades but also recognises that this right needs to be balanced against the right of communities to go about their business undisturbed. We will be looking closely at the University of Stirling’s findings to consider how we can best achieve that balance.”

Chair of the independent Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, Dr Duncan Morrow, added:

“From the outset the Advisory Group has been clear that we need strong and robust evidence as a basis for our work on tackling sectarianism. I am delighted that the Advisory Group has been able to commission these excellent pieces of research with the support of the Scottish Government. There is no doubt that they are a significant addition to the existing evidence base and we will be using the findings to shape or final report to the Scottish Government later in the year.

“The research is clear. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that sectarianism impacts negatively on people’s lives and that it is not confined to particular communities. The evidence highlights some of the complexities of the problem and that there is no single cause and no single solution. A culture of finger pointing, blaming and outright denial has provided comfort to many excusing the familiar behaviour that acts as a life support to anachronistic sectarian attitudes, but such a culture fails to address either the problem or provide a solution. That is why we believe that local solutions are central to tackling this issue, but also recognise that organisations and institutions must play a full role. This research points to the fact that there is a real thirst for change and that public opinion is overwhelmingly in favour of extinguishing the final embers of sectarianism.”

Notes To Editors

Copies of the three reports (two documents/web links for each report) are available at:

Scottish Social Attitudes survey 2014: Public attitudes to sectarianism in Scotland

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/5330

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/6038

Community Impact of Public Processions

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/3769

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/9505

Community Experiences of Sectarianism: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/9920

http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/02/6496