Explosive increase in women seeking help after sexual violence
The number of people reporting for help after sexual violence has increased explosively, government commissioner Mariétte Hamer reported to the government on Wednesday. “I find it annoying to have to say, but we see a pattern in society of how men treat women,” the Government Commissioner for Seually Transgressive Behavior and Sexual Violence said in an interview with NRC.
In the period of 2020-2022 the number of requests for help increased by 37 percent to over 40,000, according to research by the Verwey-Jonker Institute for Social Issues. The researchers expect that the six main aid organizations will receive 83 percent more reports next year than in 2020, Hamer said in her report to the government. These involve reports to the Center for Sexual Violence, Veilig Thuis, Victim Support Netherlands, the Center for Safe Sports Netherlands, Helpwanted, and Fier.
According to Hamer, the enormous increase in reports is partly due to more attention to the topic. “We saw a big peak in reports after the BOOS broadcast about The Voice. Shortly afterward, the government set up a national action program and appointed me. That also generated a lot of publicity,” she said. “People start talking about it at home or work. They recognize themselves in the stories and start reporting for help.”
She called the media attention a good thing. “What was done to victims was considered ‘normal’ for a long time. They are ashamed. They wonder what their own part in the matter was, whether they themselves did something wrong. Shouldn’t I have shown my partner the door? That is deeply rooted.”
So it is good that society’s views are starting to change. “We are looking at how we can make it safer in various sectors and learn to interact with each other differently,” Hamer said. She mentioned criminalizing sexual harassment on the street, which recently led to the first convictions. But there is still a way to go. “I heard that a politician said in a debate about a safe climate for women that women simply cannot walk the streets at night. Excuse me?”
“What also helps is talking to people. And hoping that people will pay more attention to each other, in our culture of power relations. Because that is often what it is all about. We are already seeing all kinds of changes due to emancipation. Changing behavior is a final step in growing toward equality between men and women.”
