Digital hate and violence directed at politicians pose a major threat to democracies. Studies indicate that online violence against elected officials in Germany has tripled. Digital violence against politicians alters the quality of democratic representation: politicians may refrain from speaking out on certain issues, appear less frequently in public, or even leave politics altogether. Women and members of minority groups are disproportionately affected, affecting the quality of democratic representation.

Political actors, as well as judicial and security authorities, attempt to monitor, regulate, or penalize digital violence. However, such efforts often meet with distrust and opposition, as they are perceived as infringing upon freedom of expression and fundamental individual rights. Frequently, anti-democratic forces exploit this debate to undermine trust in democratic institutions.

How can this dilemma be addressed?

The project “Caught in the Crossfire” explores the overarching question of how democracy can be protected without compromising fundamental democratic principles or eroding faith in the democratic system. The project aims to generate knowledge that strengthens the resilience of democratic institutions.

The project combines perspectives from political science, gender studies, and legal studies with practical expertise. It is based at the Gender and Diversity research unit at Freie Universität Berlin, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Gülay Caglar, with the involvement of Dr. Johannes Heß. Project partners include Prof. Dr. Kirstin Drenkhahn from the Criminal Law and Criminology research unit at Freie Universität Berlin, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), and the Criminalistic Institute of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). It is funded by the VolkswagenStiftung.