A Kick It Out report has revealed that the organisation saw a 65% increase during the 2022-23 season in relation to the number of reports it received of discriminatory behaviour.
The report detailed:
- A 65.1% rise in reported incidents of discrimination on previous season
- Racism remains the most commonly reported form of discrimination, accounting for nearly half of all reports (49.3%)
- Reports of online abuse rise from 74 to 281 - up by 279%
- Reports of sexist behaviour/misogyny rise from 16 to 80 - up by 400%
Kick It Out chief executive Tony Burnett said “The significant increase in reports across the game is alarming. And it strengthens our resolve to tackle discrimination in all areas of football. Behind each of these statistics is somebody who has sadly experienced discrimination, and supporting the victims of abuse remains Kick It Out's utmost priority.”
However, Burnett also added “While we continue to work tirelessly to 'kick it out', we call upon fans, clubs, leagues and governing bodies to help us with this cause, and we are encouraged that the number of reports per incident continues to increase, suggesting that people are becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behaviour and more likely to report abuse when they see it. Our figures provide a snapshot of what is happening across the game, but we still don't know the full picture because clubs, leagues and governing bodies aren't currently mandated to share their reporting data. This underscores why football urgently needs a centralised reporting mechanism to collate and monitor reports. Only once that happens can we understand the full extent of the problem within football and tackle it with the full force of the sport.”
You can read the Kick It Out statement here.
