Assessing Threats and Harassment Towards Locally Elected Officials
Targeted threats, harassment and the perpetration of physical violence towards individuals serving in local elected leadership positions have been increasing steadily around the world. Such vitriol includes ad hominem attacks largely based on a person's identity, policy views or party affiliation. Democracy cannot function without the individuals who actually serve in elected office.
In 2022, we launched the California Threats and Harassment Initiative (CATHI) in partnership with the Institute for Civil Civic Engagement (ICCE), to comprehensively understand the threat environment for locally elected officials. Our research focused on San Diego county only in 2022/2023, then expanded to include Riverside and Imperial counties in 2023/2024. In each year, we conducted mixed-methods research to understand the frequency and intensity of threats, harassment and aggressive behaviors towards local elected officials and the impact on our local democracy. Reports discussing findings for both years, plus simple one-pagers and literature reviews, as well as articles and media on our work can be found below.
Findings for San Diego, Riverside and Imperial Counties include:
- 66% of all elected officials reported being on the receiving end of threats and harassment.
- 69% of women report experiencing threats and harassment monthly, compared to 38% of their male counterparts.
- 83% of respondents said that threats and harassment are a major issue that require a public response.
- 46% of women and 39% of men have considered leaving public service as a direct result of the threats and harassment they have experienced.
The presence and growth of these attacks undermines all aspects of community cohesion, further weakening our ability to address all of our collective challenges.
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Resources and Information