It will have come as no surprise to national and local politicians to see a study issued this week finding 9 out of 10 members of Parliament have been subject to harassment. One in 10 had been physically assaulted, according to the Otago University survey of more than 100 of the 120 members of the House.
The study found abuse manifested itself through electronic communications and social media as well as persistent personal visits to offices and even Parliament itself. Perhaps the most worrying aspects for the politicians involve the use of the names of their children in threatening communications.
Unfortunately it is the lot of elected public officials to attract the attentions of the fixated and unreasonable; people who feel officialdom has ignored or wronged them. The survey notes that many of those who abuse and harass MPs suffer from mental health issues, although it fairly points out that not many of those with mental health problems indulge in this kind of behaviour.
Electorate offices are the front door for the disaffected and agitated and often it is MPs' staff who face unwelcome attention.
