Variable

UK Data Service variable record for:

Young Life and Times Survey, 2023

Variable Details

VariableCOMMENTS
Label49. Is there anything else you would like to say about community relations in Northern Ireland?
Responses
. 2
? 1
A lot more can be done to improve them that isn't being done at present time. Parents are at fault for this for enforcing their own agendas on children and making them prejudiced against people from different communities. 1
All I could say, is for parents to educate their children. 1
Although I personally don't judge anyone based on religion, being part of a 'catholic' or 'protestant' area is teaching younger generations to separate people based on their religion and teaching them to be prejudice and uneducated about other religions 1
Although I\'m pessimistic about them currently and over the next few years, I think and hope they will eventually improve 1
As generations move on and young people grow up in NI I think we forget about religion and just see people as people and as friends because we like their style or their personality not that they're catholic or Protestant. 1
As someone who studies both History and Politics I feel very strongly about what we need to do to improve relations in Northern Ireland as we should not still be in a state of constant Religious prejudice as we thought with the Good Friday Agreement that 1
Between most people in Northern Ireland, we're very friendly and don't care about religion or sexuality etc. However, hardline nationalists and unionists have a hard time agreeing with eachother 1
Bonfires and marches aswell as protests against it mocking other religions not only cause tension or even attacks between them all but ruin communities of families and peoples homes. I think bonfires especially are uncalled for have no purpose other than 1
Both Catholics and Protestants still hold prejudices against each other and I think shared education should take place more in secondary education because teenagers can appreciate the meaning behind it more than when, for example, I did a project with a p 1
Both of them do not like the transgenders 1
Both sides should try to respect each others cultures instead of trying to get rid of the others traditions. 1
Catholics are often not welcomed into Protestant spaces as easily Protestants are to catholic spaces 1
Community Relations in (NI) depress me 1
Community relations are fine but the leaders are terrible 1
Community relations are good but the government seem like they want to worsen them. It's annoying that the DUP are doing the whole protest thing, Sinn Fein never did that. Obviously, 'm not going to blame unionists but if they want NI to stay part of the 1
Community relations are usually quite good where I'm from however I do notice people from mine and other religions can be prejudice to other religions 1
Could be better needs to be more cross community involvement 1
Different cultures and hobbies so don't mix 1
Don't know 1
Dup is a mess 1
Everyone argues over things that dont matter instead of focusing on the real problems. People are overly homophobic, racist and transphobic. 1
Everyone is very friendly and kind to eachother 1
Football and other sports can be sectarian 1
From what I see walking to and from school everyday out of school you don't see or hear people openly discussing about their displeasure about religion, sexuality, race, age etc to how it was 5 years ago when I started attending secondary school. 1
Hope in the future that our kids will not have to grow up in a society that is not equal to everyone 1
I believe community relations are extremely important and I believe that they are better now then they have ever been however I believe that if we put more harsher punishments on paramilitary groups then it would act as a deterrent and then relations woul 1
I believe it may depend on the Northern Ireland Protocol and the current affairs going on with Britain. 1
I believe that Northern Ireland as a whole has done well to improve relations with the south but there is still discrimmination in many forms which i believe isnt taken quite seriously enough in this country. 1
I believe that children aren't taught that people of other religions aren't threats or terrorists. The parents have prejudice for no reason, and force it upon their impressionable and naivve children. This inherited hatred prevents the progression of deve 1
I believe that forcing relations is not improving relations, teens merge with real life experiences not because we played basketball together as children in primary schools. 1
I believe that the relations in Northern Ireland between Protestants and Catholics can change over time due to the mixed schools that are in Northern Ireland and in primary schools. However, if children are brought up to know what their group is such as i 1
I believe that there are better community relations now than there was in the past and people have become more accepting of one another despite religious difference. I have been brought up in a split but mostly catholic community, attending a catholic pri 1
I believe the main cause of tension surrounding community relations in Northern Ireland is mostly based on political viewpoint and ethnic identity, rather than religion itself. 1
I believe the younger generations are more open to integration than the generations before us. Hopefully, in the long term, young people can be brought up in a diverse community rather than feeling segregated due to their race or religion. I think integra 1
I believe this country can be mainly racist within people in everyday situations not systemic racism however with my experiences I have seen a lot of Asian racism black racism etc mainly from school kids my age and certain teachers showing racial prejudic 1
I couldn't care less whether there's a United ireland or not or what religion someone is. Will people just wise up a bit? 1
I dislike a lot the fact that this country have separated schools and a few mixed school because of the religion this shouldn't happen 1
I do see certain offensive words past around at school but it is always taken as a joke by both prods and catholics 1
I do think the relations between Protestants and catholics have gotten better over the years but in some cases it would depend on the area you are in or the area you live in and if your family are strong believers. This makes it difficult for people like 1
I don't believe there really is an issue between Protestants and catholics anymore I go to an intergrated school where majority of people get along no matter their religion 1
I don't have a lot to say about this topic everyone should see each other the same 1
I don't have any prejudice about members of other religions or minority groups etc I think it is more about he people and community you get rough Protestants and rough catholics. It depends solely on how they were raised 1
I don't have anything against catholics some of them are all right but some of the are scumbags but it is the same with some prods. 1
I don't know much about it but I think it's good to learn about other groups in a non-biased way 1
I don't know what to say 1
I don't know. 1
I don't like the idea of bringing religion into education. schools should aim to educate on all religions and not separate kids from different backgrounds 1
I don't mind differences, so long as we don't try to force anything on each other 1
I don't really understand the Catholic protestant thing 1
I feel as if everyone in my area keeps to themselves or a small group of people, there's not much collaboration within the community 1
I feel as if many preachers in Belfast City Centre forcefully put their believes onto other people, leading to conflict to arise within the community, which I think discourages people and causes people to frown upon religious believers. Also, I have witne 1
I feel community relations can improve in a way. Small things can set off large situations vice versa and i feel overtime more people began to care less about where people come from in terms of religion, sex and race as they are now desperate for peace an 1
I feel it sets everyone apart and creates a sense of isolation for no reason. There is no need for it and NI should be a more welcoming place for everyone. 1
I feel like it is mainly youth hating the other religion that I have noticed 1
I feel like it should be less prejudiced and more understanding and inclusive of other ethnic religions 1
I feel like it will be a while before all the communities in Northern Ireland will become completely peaceful but we have obviously come a long way since the troubles. But i think there will still be some individuals who feel a particular way about certa 1
I feel like it's less about religion and more about political views and affiliation. However, many of the people I know (including myself) care less about an "us and them" approach and more about benefiting us as a country and moving on as a society where 1
I feel like the people close in age to me in my generation are taking small steps in accepting each other. I have Protestant friends who have not once discriminated against me. I have also dated Protestants and their families have been nothing more but we 1
I feel that most people are very accepting of minority groups and accept them into sports and events. 1
I feel that schools, or at least my school, have forced the idea that there is a divide between young Protestants and young Catholics and have forced us all into fixing it in various ways. I think by doing this they are turning us away from each other whe 1
I feel that young people especially have a hatred for the religion they do not belong to despite them never living through the troubles - 1
I find that it is very 'traditional' to stay within your religion and follow what parents believe in. Therefore many children are just brought up within these religions and not shown that they are many other religions and cultures. 1
I have never expected any cross community conflict 1
I hope in the future community relationships will be able to grow 1
I hope that community relations improve. I do think that more people in my age group care less about religion and I have noticed that some people who talk about not liking other religions, don't actually feel that way but feel they should talk that way be 1
I hope to see relations improve as I have no hate for anyone who hasn't wronged me but I know people think differently 1
I just feel as though people from the likes of a small town like I live in should be less opinionated of people from different backgrounds or what other people's opinions and decisions may be. 1
I mean really if you think about history, and not just here but in other countries, these kinds of things have always been a problem and will probably always continue to be, just in different magnitudes. Best to just get on with it, really. 1
I personally think in Northern Ireland we are too focused on religion. In my opinion it shouldn't be as big as it is. 1
I think alot depends on your upbringing and what you are taught at home. There is still alot of stigma about people depending on where they are from postcode wise. I do feel protestant people I know are not as educated and are more bitter. I also think as 1
I think everyone should get along and mix during activity's etc to find out more about different religions 1
I think in certain areas the relations are very bad and i hope that the younger generation will change that, however i dont believe we are going in the right direction to achieve this. - 1
I think it has become a lot better, but I think we could still improve it, by even from first year of secondary school getting everyone used to the fact that there whatever religion or ethnicity is not better than anyone else's and we are all the same, an 1
I think its important to respect eachother - 1
I think many opinions on different religions that young people have are a result of their parents' views. 1
I think mixed religion communities will start to grow - 1
I think northern ireland is improving and hope that in the next 5 years it keeps improving even more 1
I think people are still bitter about the events during the troubles. 1
I think that a large part of the reason why hate still exists between communities is because it is taught to children from their parents so the cycle of hate continues. 1
I think that community relations are quite segregated during times such as saint Patricks day and the 12th of July but this could improve in years to come 1
I think that community relations still have a long way to go and we should all strive to make our society less bitter and more excepting 1
I think that everyone should have the right to express their culture as long as it does not offend another person. - 1
I think that in general, certain political issues such as the Protocol and the cost of living crisis divide us heavily and the problem is exacerbated with the toxic political rhetoric of the DUP and the TUV. I think that without these politicians spewing 1
I think that the community in Northern ireland is very quick to jude people from other religions 1
I think that the council/government should take onboard younger people's opinions rather than older adults/older generations as we will be the ones that have to live with their decisions, it will affect us for the rest of our lives and we will have to dea 1
I think that there is still a lot of tension that shouldn't be there 1
I think that there will always be separations in Northern Ireland, mainly because of religion and that not everyone will want to be a part of a mixed community, but i think this is simply down to the fact that people aren't educated enough in others belie 1
I think the community relations could be better in Northern Ireland. I often see and hear hate towards other ethnic groups around my area and sometimes in school. I think we all could do better to keep this place safe as possible for everyone coming here 1
I think there should be more cross- community projects, especially in schools 1
I think there will always be tensions in different communities over religion 1
I think they have got a lot better compared to the past 1
I think things won't get better until the older generation doesn't bring their own experiences within the community and teach their children to think the same thing would happen to them 1
I want to know more about other religions and communities here 1
I was never fully aware of the sectarianism in NI until I learned about it in History. I've learned that it's a very touchy subject and many people feel deeply about their religious past. I will say that, as a religious minority, I feel less uncomfortable 1
I went to an Integrated Primary School and I think all schools should have an integrated ethos 1
I wish it wasn't so hard to feel safe in certain communities and that people wouldn't paint out others to be evil or awful people just because their religion is different. 1
I wish people were more inclusive and less discriminatory towards protestant/catholic people. 1
I wish religion didn't have an influence on anything or how you see people, as it doesn't matter to me or my family. 1
I wish there was more integrated, because I think it's a good way for people to learn and become accepting and tolerant of each other. 1
I wish they were better. 1
I wished everyone got treated the same no matter what religion they are or what they look like etc 1
I would like that community relations are better. 1
I would like to hope that relations have and will get better within NI especially with my generation being taught to be more open to other peoples thoughts and views. Though as of currently there is still a lot of tension for some people which is complete 1
I would like to think that the situation will improve but currently cannot see any improvements made as sides are segregated and learned prejudice is rife. 1
I'm glad I grew up in a family who treated everyone the same,unfortunately there's too many families who do the opposite and this is why we will always have problems in different communities 1
I'm in a mixed family, in a mixed street and have attended integrated schools all my life and my friends are mixed religions and ethnics 1
If any teenager is prejudice towards people in other religions it's usually because of their family. 1
In (town named) which is where I live there has been great improvement has most people do not have the police and most people couldn't care less if someone was from a different background. I think there has been a great improvement over the last couple ye 1
In a community, Northern Ireland seem to lack trust, and manner, which then may/causes drama between groups. Like what is happening now with the attacks in County Down 1
In my experience I have never seen any discrimination against a certain community, or even discussion about it, people just don\'t care about race/religion 1
In relation to my answer in question 62, the reason I chose that response is because I think it's important for Catholic children to have the option to prepare for holy communion and confirmation at a Catholic school. 1
In the countryside its really not all that bad, there are no actual tensions whatsoever 1
Integrated schools should become standard so all children better understand and respect others religions and ethnic backgrounds 1
Intimidation is prominent 1
It can be improved always feel like there is a divide amongst each other 1
It changes a lot, depending on who people hang out with and where they go. 1
It depends on the person, whether I choose to socialise with them or not comes down to their personality, not their religion 1
It depends on where you live 1
It is absolutely appalling, I live in a Protestant estate, and if you walk to the shop it will say on the side of a house "all drug dealers are targets-UDA" this house is directly in front of a primary school. There has been two shootings and like 5 petro 1
It is quite clear they are awful and i feel we are moving in the wrong direction. I also feel that they with the great prospect of realising a United ireland community relations will only get worse 1
It is still a very divided topic, personally i think the Protestants are the ones that are keeping the hatred alive with the 12th and all the bonfires etc, also the amount of union jack flags in protestant areas does not even come close to the amount of t 1
It will get increasingly worse unless something is done about it. 1
It will never change 1
It's very divided 1
Just get along better 1
Just that catholic schools should mix with Protestant schools during seminars etc to try and get rid of the stigma and prejudice that even I myself carry towards the opposite religion 1
Landlords kicked my friends out of their family's house because they were not from the same ethnic group as them, 1
Made worse by politicians 1
More cross community workshops and after school clubs in the area would really benefit the area I live in. 1
More should be done outside of schools to stop the segregation 1
Most young people don't traditionally care about people's religion it is normally the older generation who grew up during the Troubles that truly care. 1
N/A 13
N/A - 1
N/a 1
NO 3
Na 1
Nah 1
Need keep working to improve relations and mix 1
Need to improve a lot and soon for a safer place 1
No 158
No - 10
No i think everything is good 1
No matter what, I feel there will always be problems with tension between religion 1
No not really 2
No not really - 1
No not realy 1
No nothing else - I completely agree with everything 1
No nothing else to add 1
No nothing to add 1
No thank you 2
No thank you. 2
No thanks 1
No thankyou 1
No, 1
No, I don't think so. 1
No, not really. 1
No. 8
None 1
Nope 6
Nope - 1
Not applicable 1
Not enough done to allow freedom in say what you can wear without fear of being attacked e.g. wearing a GAA jersey in Antrim 1
Not good 1
Not much relations where I live but in other communities they have a big relationship definitely. 1
Not particularly 1
Not particularly. However, I do believe that's some places could be emproved such as walkways etc. 1
Not really 1
Nothing 1
Nothing else 1
Nothing that I can think of 1
Older people encourage the divide more 1
Our political situation makes me frustrated. Narrow minded people vote for the same useless political parties each time and people insist on living in the past. Our country could be a great place to live if everybody looked to the future and agreed that n 1
Our politics need sorted 1
Overall pretty good 1
Peaked 5 years ago. Idiots r gonna ruin everything the people before us worked towards 1
Personally I feel that religion shouldn't be an ongoing issue in 2023 however due to the past some parents and guardians who were adversely affected by the troubles are passing down one minded opinions to there children resulting in children already being 1
Prodestants are the worst for sectarianism and cannot respect us catholics just because there family's in the uda and killed innocent catholics 1
Progress has been made over recent decades but there's still lots of work to be done at moving on from the past & building a better cross-community future. 1
Relations between catholic and protestant communities are hampered by fear-mongering and self-serving unionist politicians 1
Religeon is being overtly politicized, religeon is about worshiping God, if you want to talf about republicans and loyalists call them republicans and loyalists. 1
Right now there bad I think 1
School didn't do anything towards my feelings towards other religious groups 1
Sectarian tensions are getting worse due to the new generation of extremists that did not witness the troubles 1
Sectarianism is still rice in northern Ireland and it's a massive problem. Many young people do not feel safe around those from different communities and this breeds fear. I've personally been victimised for my nationalist views and it's horrible 1
Some people can be blinded by religion. 1
Still a long way to go and all schools should be integrated, however my particular view is religion should be kept out of education altogether and is a personal matter for the family, but all religions respected not just Protestant or Catholic. 1
Stop the violence. 1
That everyone respects eachother 1
The Protestants have too many celebrations each year and to improve relations between communities they should have one day a year where they can celebrate their culture instead of having many days where they celebrate there culture by being hateful toward 1
The new UDA need to stop selling drugs and starting riots in [names town] 1
The recent disturbances seem to be a bit alarming 1
The younger generation has better community relations than the older generations 1
The {town named} high school brings in to many foreigners and is pushing the Northern Ireland population out 1
The're very mixed depending where the area is some are very amicable some aren't. 1
There always going to hate eachother 1
There are none that are done effectively 1
There are posters in my town about violence and how they want to bring it back. My town is very paramilitary/loyalist heavy and it scares me. 1
There are so many Romanian immigrants it is beyond a joke 1
There is always room for improvement but I think recently the relationships have improved a lot. 1
There is obvious separation in communities in areas of NI but around where I live there is little discrimination between the communities but as brexit and the government changes I think that NI could possibly become a more hostile place to live. 1
There is too much prejudice between communities and everyone is very sceptical of people from other religious backgrounds however I personally would like to get on well with people from other communities and learn about them but where I live prevents me f 1
There will always be at least a little prejudice in the Northern Ireland community due to people growing up with others, e.g. parents who normalize prejudice due to a vicious cycle of being raised poorly. The only way to solve the prejudice in Northern Ir 1
There will always be disputes, its human nature to want to argue. Both sides feel the need to blame. there is a massive hatred for both Catholics and protestants in Ireland and especially in northern Ireland. 1
Theres so much unspoken tension that people don't want to talk about Protestants or Catholics in good light because of the way they were raised. My mum is protestant, my dad is catholic, and I grew up not knowing a thing about the troubles but as soon as 1
They are improving, but with constant conflicts in politics at the moment I'm not sure if they will keep doing so. 1
They are quite strong, I get along very well with people of different groups and backgrounds in school and I have nothing against any of them. I am friends with a lot of different people of different backgrounds 1
They are some what good, however I don't see things changing in relations in a sense of improvement as i believe it's now embedded in our culture and view on society. 1
They can be quite divided between religions 1
They make a lot of effort to make people from different ethnic groups feel comfortable. 1
They need more financing, more mixed youth clubs more youth club in areas 1
They need to be better 1
They need to drastically improve; and this needs to be strategised via a working and active devolved government. Until we get Stormont back, we can't expect any improvement in good relations across N(o)I. 1
They shouldn't be so segregated 1
They're not very good. 1
They're pretty good as long as you get to know people and become friends but some are quite threatening 1
This is not solely based on religion its settler colonists vs native population. It has little to do with religion but peoples political aspirations. Not all catholics want a united ireland and not all protestants don't want a united ireland. 1
Though community relations have been developing in a positive way. There are still very negative views and relations between Irish people and people from an ethnic minority. Which I have experienced myself. 1
Unfortunately, I believe that relations between different communities in NI will always be tense due to the past events that had overcome the country. 1
We are forced to be religious in schools, such as singing songs or doing drawings, if we refuse these activities we are viewed as satanic. - - A stable government would be nice. 1
When it comes to the question of prejudice against minorities in NI, I picked not at all, however I think this is too vague, I try not to be, but the question doesn't take into account unconscious discrimination that I don't even realise I have done. A be 1
Would be nice for everyone to just get along 1
Yes, I think we need a lot more integrated schools and more cross-community projects not just for young people but for Older People too. 1
Yet again, I've never cared for religion. At this point the hatred is only taught. Honestly, I think by the point I am fully educated and even ready for work, this country is going to be so under fire because of this taught hatred that it will be like the 1
Young people my age don't really know about the troubles as much as we learn about them and I think there will be an increase in sectarianism as I grow up due to the fact that catholic republicans and prod loyalists will clash as these young people don't 1
Younger people don't care about religion if your nice you are nice if you are rude you are rude but younger people's parents have an influence on what they believe 1
Youth work is an Underated medium of allowing young people to engage in community relation building 1
catholics feel intimidated going to majority Protestant Towns that have flags, murals, Kirb painting etc. we cannot wear gaa tops and may feel the need to give a fake name to feel less threatened which loyalist people etc don't have to experience. It doe 1
community relationships have improved over the years however I feel without constant inclusion and teaching of different religions and ethnic groups, we can often slip back into our old habits of ignorance and unawareness. I also feel that young people ar 1
differs severly from place to place 1
effects people's manners 1
first of all, you need to remain human 1
generally quite equal 1
hostile in certain places 1
i am a catholic and have had friends who were protestants and part of the orange order who were fine, but it is the older generation (as in their parents) who were toxic and had a prejudice against me 1
i believe the community should be more welcoming other ethnic groups and or people of colour 1
i can't wear a GAA top or my uniform in protestant areas because of my religion 1
i don't think so 1
i feel relations can be good most of the time, but sometimes on days like the 12th and 13th of july catholics might be discriminated against, aswell as on days like saint patricks day when protestants might feel discriminated against. 1
i hate that religion is even an issue, it should be a personal choice and of no interest to anyone else. It is a waste of resources that be better used to improve NI for EVERYone! 1
i hope they improve 1
i know the war was not long ago, i just don't like how the segregation of catholics and protestants during the war still has an effect on those today. not everyone is like this and NI is moving forward, but there is still a lot of hate being passed down t 1
i think its stupid the way catholics and prods cant get on with eachother and the fact it poses a threat to people in certain areas, thats why i would choose to send my children to a majority prod school 1
i think people hate on eachother asoon as they find out there a different religion 1
i think relationships between people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds has developed lots recently as a result of exchange programmes and events organised by schools, i felt privileged to be part of one of these programmes and think they sho 1
i think that the community relations in Northern Ireland is pretty good. sometimes there may be problems but mostly there is good community relations 1
idk - 1
if parents feel strongly about their religion, it would most likely pass onto their children. That's most likely where the hatred comes from different religion groups. 1
it is the what it is. 1
its a bit sad, i believe that were are all northern irish 1
n/a 3
nah 1
needs to be more mixed and less prejudice and discrimination against both catholics and protestants 1
no 72
no - 9
no thank you 1
no thanks 1
no there is not 1
no. 2
nobody seems to care anymore until somone does something to the opposite religion 1
nope 2
nope all good :) 1
nope. 1
not great 2
not really 1
nothing 1
nothing against protestant 1
paramilitaries (old and new) on all sides need to be dissolved and be sentences for their actions. people need to acknowledge that violence and petrol bombs are never the answer and the police should not be so tolerant towards such extreme actions and gro 1
people are getting along better 1
people in NI feel very strongly about their individuals religions so it is hard to accept other religions but we do feel sorry for them and pray for them daily 1
probably won't changefor a long time because It's the way people are brought up and they will pass it on to there children 1
relations are better now then they were 20 years ago but there is still a clear divide between catholics and protestants 1
religion is not that important but we make a big deal about it 1
rubbing religions into eachothers face is what causes the problems between protestants and catholics 1
sectarianism 1
some people now a days still hold onto there old beliefs and some want to move away from it. 1
the negativity between prostestants and catholics is very damaging to communities and can leave people feeling unsafe in their homes aswell as the paramilitary groups found across all of northern ireland can make people feel very unsafe and causes a huge 1
the tension between protestants and catholics will never change as long as they are separated 1
the whole argument of protestants and catholics is just down right stupid, so much violence for nothing. 1
there is a lack of respect and compassion for others across the community. we need to treat eachother with more kindness and human decency 1
there is obviously protestants and catholics that get along although there is still some people from both communities that are "bitter" 1
they need improvement, especially between catholics and protestants 1
they need to be closer together and equal. religion should never play apart in any form of life - 1
things are looking pretty bad, with the threat level rising, tensions rising things are not going to go well unless something big happens 1
we're constantly getting better and in my opinion in only a decade or so everyone will have forgotten about the divide 1
wish everyone would stop fighting and just get along. we bleed the same blood 1
youth has lots of agro 1
yuppa bies 1
DisclaimerPlease note that these frequencies are not weighted.
LocationYoung Life and Times Survey, 2023
UniverseIn 2023 all 16-year-olds who celebrated their 16th birthday in January, February or March 2023 were invited to take part. YLT 2023 was a split survey. YLT is part of a suite of surveys, which includes the Kids’ Life and Times (KLT) survey of P7 children (10-11 year-olds), and Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) survey of adults (18 years +).
SamplingSimple random sample
Study TypeRepeated cross-sectional study