Understanding extremism in Scotland: public perceptions and experiences

Appendix A: Survey Questions

1. How much of a problem do you consider extremism to be?

- In my local area

- In Scotland

- In the rest of the UK

- Worldwide

SCALE: A big problem, a moderate problem, A minor problem, no problem at all, DK

2. How confident are you, if at all, that you know what is meant by the term 'extremism'?

SCALE: Very confident, fairly confident, not very confident, not at all confident, don't know

3. Which of the following words do you most strongly associate with extremism?

Please select up to three options.

[phone- pause for unprompted responses and note]

[randomised order except last two options]

- Terrorism,

- Hate crime,

- Violence,

- Racism,

- Propaganda,

- Discrimination,

- Homophobia,

- Transphobia,

- Misogyny,

- Sectarianism,

- Community tension,

- Religion,

- Politics,

- None of the above,

- Other (please specify)

- Don't know

4. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements:

- You can be an extremist without being physically violent

- You can be an extremist without supporting the use of physical violence

SCALE: Strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree, DK

5. Do you consider any of the following to represent extremism?

[randomised]

- Attending a non-violent protest for political, religious or ideological reasons

- Making derogatory remarks about someone for political, religious or ideological reasons

- Causing criminal damage for political, religious or ideological reasons

- Sharing material promoting a group known to use violence for political, religious or ideological reasons

- Collecting money for a group known to use violence for political, religious or ideological reasons

- Assaulting someone for political, religious or ideological reasons

- Causing physical harm to a large number of people for political, religious or ideological reasons

SCALE: Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely. Never, DK

6. In the last five years, do you think the threat from extremism has changed in Scotland?

- Increased a lot,

- Increased a little,

- Stayed the same,

- Decreased a little,

- Decreased a lot,

- Don't know

7. Have you observed extremism in Scotland in the past 5 years? This can include experiencing extremism yourself.

- Yes, online

- Yes, in person

- Yes, online and in person

- No

- Don't know

8. Could you describe what happened?

[ask only if answer to 5 is first 3 options]

[note]

9. Have you observed any of these in Scotland in the past 5 years, either online or in person? This can include experiencing these yourself.

[randomised order]

- Terrorism,

- Hate crime,

- Violence,

- Racism,

- Community tension,

- Discrimination,

- Homophobia,

- Transphobia,

- Misogyny,

- Sectarianism,

Yes, No

10. What type of extremism do you think poses the biggest threat in Scotland?

[note]

11. To what extent do you agree or disagree that enough is being done to tackle extremism in Scotland?

- By local authorities

- By educational institutions

- By Scottish Government

- By UK Government

- By Police Scotland

- By MI5

SCALE: Strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree, DK

12. In the next five years, do you think the threat from extremism will change in Scotland?

- Increase a lot

- Increase a little

- Stay the same

- Decrease a little

- Decrease a lot

- DK

13. What religion, religious denomination or body do you belong to?

- None

- Buddhist

- Church of Scotland

- Roman Catholic

- Other Christian

- Hindu

- Jewish

- Muslim

- Pagan

- Sikh

- Another religion or body, please specify

[note of prefer not to say/ refusal]

14. What is your ethnic group? Choose one section which best describes your ethnic group or background

- African, Scottish African or British African

- Asian, Scottish Asian or British Asian

- Caribbean or Black

- Mixed or multiple ethnic groups

- White

- Other ethnic group, please specify

[note of prefer not to say/ refusal]

15. In the Scottish Parliament Election of 2021, 64% of people voted, while 36% of people did not vote. Thinking back to the Holyrood Election in May 2021, can you remember whether or not you voted in that specific election?

- I voted in the 2021 Holyrood elections

- I did not vote in the 2021 Holyrood elections

- Don't know

16. In Scottish Parliament elections you are given two votes. Your first vote is for a single person to represent your constituency in the Scottish Parliament.

Which party did you vote for with your Constituency vote in the 2021 Scottish Parliament Elections?

- Scottish National Party (SNP)

- Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party

- Scottish Liberal Democrats

- Scottish Labour Party

- Another Party

- Can't remember

- Refused