City councilors can be harassed in four ways. Oral threats are the most common. 70 percent of the afflicted politicians stated that they had been bothered by this. That’s slightly more than the number of threats via social media, which faced 67 percent.
In twelve percent of the cases, council members have had to deal with physical threats. The percentage of councilors who were confronted at their home address with people who came to seek redress is remarkably high. No fewer than 28 percent had to deal with frightening situations at their home.
Almost a third of the threatened councilors are women.
Frightening
Council members generally experience the intimidation as frightening. Twelve percent of the threatened MPs have considered or are still considering resigning from that position.
The increased aggression, both verbal and physical, from society also has consequences for the average quality of members of municipal councils. About half (48 percent) of councilors who participated in the survey find that threat risk is making it increasingly difficult to find suitable new councilors.
The survey was conducted by the editors of this newspaper in 55 municipalities in North Holland, South Holland and Utrecht.
A study by the Dutch Association for Councilors and the NOS recently showed that municipal councilors are three times more likely to be victims of threats and violence than in 2015. This varies from threats via social media to smashed windows or dog feces through the letterbox.