Four in 10 victims of online threats report psychological problems, CBS says

Online threats and intimidation were followed by emotional or psychological problems for 40% of victims in the Netherlands in 2025, according to the Dutch statistics office CBS. The figure was higher than for any other crime category in the survey, which covered people aged 15 and over.

Across all types of crime, 20% of victims said they had experienced emotional or psychological problems as a result. The proportion was 32% for violent offences, 19.5% for property offences, 14.6% for vandalism, 14.5% for hacking and 11.6% for online fraud and scams.

The CBS figures come from the 2025 Safety Monitor, a survey conducted every two years. They record victims’ reports of problems they associated with a crime; the figures do not measure clinical diagnoses.

The reported impact of online threats and intimidation was greater when the alleged offender was known to the victim: 54% reported problems, compared with 26.5% when the offender was a stranger. For violent offences, the corresponding figures were 46.4% and 24.6%.

The survey also found higher rates of reported psychological problems among victims who suffered physical injury or financial difficulties. For example, 38.5% of victims of online fraud or scams who had financial problems reported emotional or psychological problems, compared with 8.9% of those without financial problems.