000			03888nab a22003977a 4500
999			_c8636 _d8636
005			20250625151658.0
008			240423s2024 ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
040			_aAFVC
100			_aEvery-Palmer, Susanna _99495
245			_aStalking, harassment, gendered abuse, and violence towards politicians in the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery era _cSusanna Every-Palmer, Oliver Hansby and Justin Barry-Walsh
260			_bFrontiers _c2024
490	0		_aFrontiers in Psychiatry
500			_aFrontiers in Psychiatry, 2024, First published online, 16 April 2024
520			_aBackground: High levels of harassment and threats against parliamentarians are being reported internationally, especially in the social media space. This is occurring alongside changes in our social landscape, with increasing political polarisation and the ongoing ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Harassment of politicians has been shown to have implications for psychological wellbeing and physical safety. Objectives: To investigate harassment and violence towards parliamentarians in the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery era, including whether there had been a change in its nature and quantity, and to explore the contribution of social media. Methods: A survey of all New Zealand’s parliamentarians was fielded in 2022, focusing on their experiences of harassment analysed quantitatively and with manifest and latent content analysis of free text responses. Data were disaggregated and compared by gender. Secondary analyses were conducted on similar data collected from parliamentarians in 2014 to compare trends over time. Findings: We obtained a cleaned achieved survey sample of 54 Members of Parliament (MPs). Harassment was reported by 98% of respondents, ranging from disturbing communication to actual physical violence. The vast majority of MPs endorsed multiple modalities of harassment occurring on multiple occasions. Ninety-six percent of MPs had been harassed over social media, with over half being threatened, including threats of physical violence (40%), sexual violence (14%), threats made towards MP’s family members (19%), threats towards staff (12%), and death threats (27%). Almost all forms of harassment had increased significantly since 2014. Most MPs reported experiencing abuse related to the Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. lockdowns and vaccine mandates). Many MPs commented that the frequency and intensity of abuse increased markedly during the COVID pandemic and had not subsequently abated. Women were at significantly higher risk of certain types of social media harassment including gendered abuse, sexualised comments, threat of sexual violence, and threats toward their family. Conclusion: Harassment of parliamentarians is an escalating issue. Online threats and misogyny are increasingly apparent. This harassment has significant psychosocial costs for victims, their family and staff, and for democratic processes. (Authors' abstract). Record #8636
650			_aATTITUDES _970
650			_aBULLYING _991
650			_aCOVID-19 _98949
650		4	_9273 _aGOVERNMENT
650		4	_aONLINE HARASSMENT _95989
650		4	_aPANDEMICS _98950
650		4	_aPOLITICIANS _912948
650			_aSEXUAL HARASSMENT _9534
650		4	_aSEXUAL VIOLENCE _9531
650			_aSOCIAL MEDIA _93663
650			_aSTALKING _93265
650			_aSURVEYS _9592
650		0	_aVICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE _96716
650		0	_aVIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN _93088
650			_aWORKPLACE _9652
651		4	_aNEW ZEALAND _92588
700			_aHansby, Oliver _912857
700			_aBarry-Walsh, Justin _912858
773	0		_tFrontiers in Psychiatry, 2024, First published online, 16 April 2024
856			_uhttps://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1357907 _yDOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1357907 (Open access)
942			_2ddc _cBOOK _hnews127