Beangstiging

Beangstiging is a Dutch term that refers to the act of inducing fear in another person or group. It describes tactics intended to provoke anxiety, alarm, or intimidation, through threats, hostile conduct, or coercive messaging. The concept is used in legal, psychological, and sociological discussions to denote behavior that aims to cause another party to feel unsafe or subordinate.

Etymologically, beangstiging combines the prefix be- with angst, meaning fear, and is used to denote the process or result of producing fear. It is applicable in multiple contexts, including interpersonal relations, workplaces, politics, media, and public order, where fear is used to influence behavior or perceptions.

In practice, beangstiging can occur in various settings. Interpersonal examples include bullying or harassment that leverages fear to gain compliance. In public life, fear-based rhetoric or intimidation can be employed to deter dissent or to manufacture a climate of insecurity. In organizational or institutional settings, security measures or aggressive rhetoric may be used to create a pervasive sense of danger.

Effects of beangstiging can range from emotional distress and reduced sense of safety to avoidance, self-censorship, and changes in behavior. If severe or persistent, it may have legal implications, being treated as intimidation, coercion, or harassment depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances.

Related terms include intimidation, coercion, harassment, threatening, fear appeal, and propaganda. Beangstiging is distinct from mere fear itself, as it denotes an active cause of fear rather than the state of fear alone.