Lawyers in the Netherlands face rising aggression and intimidation

A study commissioned by the Netherlands Bar Association (NOvA) and conducted by Ipsos I&O reveals that 44 percent of lawyers in the Netherlands experienced some form of aggression, intimidation, or threats in the past year.

Verbal aggression was the most frequent type at 37 percent, followed by intimidation at 31 percent and threats at 12 percent. Physical aggression was reported by 3 percent of respondents. The impact is significant, with 40 percent of victims describing incidents as serious or very serious, and 71 percent reporting negative consequences such as decreased job satisfaction and safety.

The research highlights that female lawyers face higher risks and are more likely to experience incidents with a discriminatory character. Additionally, lawyers working in solo practices or small firms are more vulnerable due to limited resources for security measures compared to those in larger organizations.

In response, the Netherlands Bar Association is expanding support by making resilience and safety a mandatory part of professional training. The organization is also developing specialized training for criminal defense lawyers and providing practical tools for office security and managing online privacy.