Martin Chungong, head of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), warned delegates at a UN conference Thursday that growing public hostility toward lawmakers could have “major implications for democracies, parliaments and human rights worldwide.”

In an UN News interview, Italian MP Valentina Grippo described the pressures lawmakers face when speaking publicly, saying that if an MP’s message is not “perfectly in line” with what an audience wants to hear, “then you have multiple attacks.”

Their remarks came alongside the release of a IPU report, which compiles responses from parliamentarians across 85 countries and presents in-depth case studies from Argentina, Benin, Italy, Malaysia and the Netherlands.

The report finds that intimidation is now a widespread feature of parliamentary life. According to the IPU, 71 percent  of respondents reported experiencing violence from the public, with most of it heavily concentrated online. Between 65 percent and 77 percent of MPs in the five case study countries reporting online abuse, which intensifies around elections and polarizing political issues.

The IPU further reports that many MPs believe the situation is worsening. In Argentina and the Netherlands, 8 out of 10 MPs reported an increase in violence over the past 5 years. There is also a gender gap in exposure, where 76 percent of women MPs reported exposure to violence by the public compared with 68 percent of men, with women more likely to face gendered and sexualized attacks.

The IPU attributes much of the violence to individual perpetrators rather than organized groups. In the online context, anonymous users were identified as the main perpetrators by around nine out of 10 MPs in Argentina, Italy, Malaysia and the Netherlands.

The report calls on political and parliamentary leadership to define and enforce boundaries for acceptable public discourse so intimidation does not succeed in silencing dissenting and minority voices. The IPU warns that these trends can erode democratic representation, discourage diversity and weaken parliaments over time. It also recommends strengthening reporting and support mechanisms within legislatures, including access to legal counsel and psychological support and, given the prevalence of online abuse, specialized digital safety units to help MPs monitor threats and coordinate with law enforcement when risks escalate.