BBC News NI
BBCDeath and rape threats have been issued against some Stormont politicians and their children.
Others have been physically attacked in their offices or on the street with some avoiding parts of their own constituency for fear of attack or verbal abuse.
On Wednesday, First Minister Michelle O’Neill called online abuse targeting Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Carla Lockhart “disgraceful and unacceptable”.
An Electoral Commission survey on the 2024 UK general election found that many candidates continue to experience unacceptable levels of intimidation and harassment.
A group of leaders from the Centre for Democracy and Peace’s Fellowship Programme have called for action to tackle the abuse.
Backed by the Electoral Commission, they have called for legislative change to strengthen protection for candidates and education initiatives to promote more respectful political discourse.
Some members of the Northern Ireland Assembly said if they had realised the scale of abuse they would face then they would never have stood for election.
BBC News NI understands some are considering leaving elected politics.
Assembly members have spoken to BBC Northern Ireland’s The View detailing their experiences of harassment and abuse.
When I joined politics the abuse was really horrific.
Really nasty stuff about the way I looked, sexual slurs, picking up on every small typo that you would make in a post to say how stupid you were.
It was all about absolute humiliation.
To be honest, it really, really upset me to such an extent that I just really regretted my decision to get involved in public life.
Whenever I talk to young people about encouraging them to get into politics, it’s always there in my mind that, if you step forward, you will have this.
You will have this hate.
I’ve received numerous sexually explicit photographs on social media.
I’ve actually had sexually threatening messages sent to me on social media, privately and also publicly.
That’s a real concern of mine now that my daughter is at the age where she’s on social media too. How do I shield her from that?
I have also received abuse and threatening, intimidating remarks when I’ve been out and about in public with my family as well.
I take much more consideration at what I actually bring my family along to, so as to protect them from that abuse as well.