More than one government and police report has proved that ethnic minorities suffer more from attacks purely motivated by racism than other groups. Some of these are very serious, with people being killed or badly injured. One of the best known cases in recent years has been Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager from Greenwich in London, waiting at a bus stop. He was beaten to death by a group of five young white men who had never seen him before. No-one was brought to justice for this murder, and it has made black people in the area feel less safe and reduced their faith in the police to protect them.

Sometimes it's people's houses that are attacked, or their places of worship.

The British Crime Survey in 1997 estimated that about 130,000 racially motivated crimes were committed against black and Asian people, with no particular group 'getting it' worse than another. Half of those who reported harassment to the police felt dissatisfied with what happened next.

More young people get harassed than older ones. People who live in areas where there are few other minorities are more likely to report being harassed than people who live in more mixed areas. The main ethnic minority groups all reported a similar amount of harassment.

A national survey in 1997 worked out that about 250,000 black and Asian people are harassed every year, by workmates, neighbours, but most often by strangers. Usually the people doing the harassing are male. A Health Service report in 1997 showed that black nurses were leaving in large numbers and this was 'linked to harassment in the workplace'.

Racial problems were reported 236 times in Edinburgh schools in 1996. Most of them were about boys around the age of nine saying or writing racist names, and taking the mickey out of ethnic minority pupils.

In 1998 the Government introduced higher penalties for harassment and assault with a racial motive.