Responding

How to respond to racism

View tips below on how to respond to racism if you witness or experience it.

If you are in immediate danger, call 000 and remove yourself from harm. Say ‘Stop I’m calling the police’.
Record the incident or take photos if it is safe to do so. Note the time, place and any physical injuries.
Report the incident to a support service if you feel comfortable and seek wellbeing support. Translation services are also available to help you make a report. When you report racism, your visa will not be affected

If you see someone experiencing racism remember:

Step in to help if it is safe to do so. Stand next to them. Note the time and place of the incident, take photos or record abuse. If it is not safe, seek help from a security guard or another responsible person.
Say something to the perpetrator if it is safe to do so. It could be as simple as ‘I don’t think that’s okay’ or ‘why did you say that?’. Stay calm and question the comments, not the person.
Support the targeted person and ask if they are okay. Let them know they can receive wellbeing support.
Encourage the targeted person to report. Call police on 000 if in danger.

If you see a racist post on social media or elsewhere online, take a screenshot of it, and block the person who posted it.
Support the targeted person. If you moderate a page where a racist comment was made, delete the comment. If you know the targeted person let them know they can receive wellbeing support.
Report it. Most social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have report buttons like this (.....) under posts. Alerting the platform can help remove any offensive posts or comments. You can also report racist content to the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.

For more information view the Make a Stand Against Racism brochure [PDF 3.6MB].