More than 80% of female journalists verbally abused, intimidated or threatened

Approximately 82 percent of female journalists have experienced some form of intimidation, threat or aggression. Almost a third of them experience this every month, according to a study commissioned by PersVeilig, an organization monitoring the safety of journalists in the Netherlands. For example, female journalists report being called "whores" or "crazy cunts," and some are subjected to stereotypes, like being told they "have to get busy with the cleaning." As a result, they say that they are forced to choose their words more carefully or no longer publish articles on certain topics, or restrain themselves in other ways.

More than half of female journalists have experienced online aggression at least once in the past year, often via Twitter. "The research shows that female journalists, compared to the entire professional group, are more often confronted with aggressive or intimidating statements via social media and less often with face-to-face incidents," said PersVeilig, an initiative from the NVJ labor union, the Association of Editors-in-Chief, the police, and the Public Prosecution Service.

One third of women who experienced aggression, threats or intimidation perceived the last incident as discriminatory based on their gender. In an earlier survey released last year, 63 percent of the entire profession indicated that the threats negatively affect their work. For female journalists, this is now 77 percent, the latest study showed.

Six out of ten female journalists said they handle their job differently as a result of the incidents. For example, 52 percent reported choosing their words more carefully, and 23 percent said they avoid certain social media platforms. Also, 19 percent no longer write about specific subjects. "At the same time, three in ten journalists said they have become more determined to do their job."

Female journalists who work as freelancers are more likely to avoid discussing incidents. About 45 percent of female freelance journalists said this, compared to 28 percent of those working on a staff contract. Three out of ten indicate that their employers or clients have not taken adequate protective measures. According to PersVeilig, the research shows that there is a need for a structural approach to the problem.

Peter ter Velde, the Persveilig project manager, said in response to the research that it is "shocking" to see that female journalists "are having a hard time, especially through social media. PersVeilig will therefore actively appeal to social media companies to tackle online threats and intimidation." Additional training about how to handle social media, and other ways to further support female journalists are being investigated.

A total of 292 female journalists participated in the survey.