World · Europe · 2 hrs ago
Dutch schools report child abuse more often, but early detection remains hard
Dutch schools are reporting suspected child abuse more often, with reports from schools nearly doubling in recent years.
Teachers spend much of the week with children and can notice changes that may point to abuse.
A two-year study of primary schools found that early detection remains difficult because signs can be hard to see and teachers may be unsure when to report.
Some teachers worry that reporting could damage trust with families or make violence worse.
A new digital toolkit for teachers is available from today, bringing together guidance and other materials to help them respond.
The support system also faces pressure: Veilig Thuis receives more than 100,000 reports and advice requests each year and has warned it cannot keep up with the workload.
Researchers say the organization is the only route for linking information about children and arranging compulsory help.
Dutch schools are reporting suspected child abuse more often, but teachers still find early detection difficult.
The number of reports from schools has almost doubled, and schools are also seeking advice from Veilig Thuis more often.
A two-year study of primary schools found that teachers can have suspicions for months or years while trying to understand what is happening and when to report it.
Researchers point to gaps in teacher training and fears that reporting could damage trust or increase violence at home.
A digital toolkit for teachers, developed using the research, is available from today.
- Who
- Dutch schools and teachers, researchers Veroni Eichelsheim and Carlijn van Baak, and the organisation Veilig Thuis.
- What
- Schools are reporting suspected child abuse more often, but recognising it early remains difficult. Researchers have developed a digital toolkit for teachers.
- When
- The article was published on 10 November 2026. The toolkit is available from that day.
- Where
- The Netherlands, with research focused on primary schools.
- Why
- Teachers may lack training and fear damaging trust or increasing violence in the family. The article also says it can be difficult to establish what is happening and when a report is needed.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The reporting code for schools was amended so that a report is always made when serious abuse is suspected.
Researchers studied how primary schools identify child abuse and used their findings to develop a digital toolkit for teachers.
Veilig Thuis warned that it could no longer cope with its workload.
NOS reported that school reports had almost doubled and the toolkit was available from that day.
- School reports
- Almost doubled since the comparison reported seven years earlier
- International comparison
- More than 20% of reports came from schools in England and Germany; in the Netherlands, the share was a few percent
- Trained school contacts
- At least 500 primary schools and 200 secondary schools have an appointed contact person for child abuse concerns
- Veilig Thuis workload
- More than 100,000 reports and more than 100,000 requests for advice each year
- Research
- Two years, focused on identifying child abuse in primary schools
What people are saying
Teachers sometimes carry suspicions of abuse around for months or years.
They try to arrange help for the family. It is often a matter of searching for what exactly is going on and when a report is needed.
That is worrying.