Netherlands needs updated data on children exposed to domestic violence, experts say
Two urgent concerns are converging in the Netherlands: outdated national data on children exposed to domestic violence and growing warnings from experts that current support systems may not reflect reality, NOS reports.
Child protection professionals say there has been no comprehensive study into domestic violence among children for nearly a decade, leaving authorities reliant on outdated figures. The most recent research, conducted in 2017, found that between 90,000 and 120,000 primary school and early secondary school children experienced domestic violence, including physical and psychological abuse, neglect, or growing up in a home filled with conflict.
Children’s Ombudsman Margrite Kalverboer stressed the need for updated research, noting that children rarely report abuse themselves. She suggested that centralized registration of all reports could already improve understanding of the scope.
Experts believe those figures represent only a minimum estimate. On average, one child per classroom is affected. “In ten years, a lot has changed,” Judith Kuypers from the advisory and reporting center Veilig Thuis told NOS. “It is, therefore, important that new research be conducted. What exactly is happening with children now? How big is the problem? Can we get more insight into that?”
Research in this area remains difficult and costly. Surveys involving children under 16 require parental consent, which can be problematic if parents are perpetrators, leading to challenges in gathering accurate data and understanding the full scope of the issue. Youth Minister Mirjam Sterk stated that the government should redirect its funds elsewhere. “We mainly look at how we can properly identify these children and provide the best help,” she said. “We spend a lot of money to ensure that when children or parents ask for help, we can assist them as effectively as possible to stop the violence.”
Sterk also echoed Kalverboer's words. “We actually do not know exactly how many children are involved, because children do not always talk about violence at home. We believe it is at least one child per class.”
Another key challenge is that children often do not recognize abuse. “When I was young, I thought it was normal,” said Bram, now 19, who was beaten as a child when his parents could not handle his behavior. “When I got older and had friends at school to talk to, I realized it was not normal.”
The Ministries of Health and Justice, which previously commissioned in-depth studies, now use alternative methods to estimate prevalence. These include long-term monitoring of hundreds of families to assess whether violence decreases, and surveys by the national statistics office asking people aged 16 and older to reflect on their childhood.
Experts say children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to display aggression or become withdrawn, experience anxiety, perform poorly in school, and suffer nightmares. Long-term effects can include depression and problems in relationships.
Kuypers said stigma continues to prevent open discussion. “People find it difficult to make it discussable with friends or family, let alone contact an organization,” she said. “We have been saying for years that we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. So we know that many families are living in unsafe conditions.”
