Veilig Thuis sees chat use more than triple
Since the chat service became available around the clock, many more people have come forward with questions about domestic violence.
_05.jpg){kind=link}
Veilig Thuis received 11,222 chat conversations in August and part of September, compared with 3,492 in the same period last year. The organisation attributes the sharp rise to the expansion to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Veilig Thuis's chat service has been continuously available since its expansion. The first figures for August and part of September 2026 show the number of conversations at more than three times the level in the same period of 2025. These are provisional figures from the organisation itself.
The chat is intended for people seeking advice or support with domestic violence or child abuse. They may be victims, but also perpetrators, bystanders and professionals. Veilig Thuis can also be reached by telephone on 0800-2000 and can take reports.
The rise does not automatically mean that domestic violence has increased by the same proportion. More conversations may also indicate a lower threshold for seeking help, a wider reach for the service or a shift from telephone contacts to chat. The available figures say nothing about this yet.
Veilig Thuis describes the 24/7 chat as part of a broader development to make the organisation more accessible. The service gives people the opportunity to discuss their situation at any time, but it does not replace emergency assistance. In immediate danger, the emergency number 112 remains the appropriate option.
The new figures raise the question of how digital assistance relates to the rest of the approach. More points of contact can help identify warning signs earlier, but only if enough staff and follow-up support are available. No figures have yet been published on the effects on referrals and reports.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The chat service is available 24/7.
- The number of reported chat conversations rose from 3,492 to 11,222 in the first comparison period.
- Veilig Thuis provides advice and receives reports about domestic violence and child abuse.
Left
Arguments Greater accessibility is especially valuable when it is linked to more public support services, specialised staff and rapid follow-up support. A rise in use should not be seized upon to shift responsibility onto victims or bystanders.
Values Accessible care, social protection and lowering barriers for vulnerable people.
Consequences The left will fear that more reports without additional capacity will lead to queues and disappointment.
Centre
Arguments The 24/7 chat is a useful addition, but it should be assessed in terms of reach, quality, privacy and whether contacts lead to appropriate help. For acute situations, the existing safety routes must remain clear.
Values Efficiency, feasibility and a reliable public service chain.
Consequences The centre will emphasise the need for evaluation before a structural expansion of resources is decided.
Right
Arguments The government must ensure that people can receive help quickly and with few barriers, but also make clear where the boundary lies between advice, reporting and emergency police assistance. Digital services must not obscure responsibility for safety.
Values Protection, responsibility and a government that performs its core tasks properly.
Consequences The right will focus mainly on accessibility, enforcement and whether increased use actually leads to greater safety.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures and the new availability have been directly confirmed by Veilig Thuis. The text clearly distinguishes between more contacts and a possible increase in violence.
- confirmed Veilig Thuis received 11,222 chat conversations in August and part of September, compared with 3,492 in the same period of 2025. — Mentioned in Veilig Thuis's news report. source
- confirmed The chat is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. — Confirmed by Veilig Thuis and the Dutch government. source
- confirmed Veilig Thuis is an advice and reporting centre for domestic violence and child abuse. — Description of its duties on the Dutch government's website. source
- confirmed The rise does not prove that domestic violence has increased by the same proportion. — This is a methodological qualification: the cited figures measure chat conversations, not the prevalence of violence. source
Editor's note
The increase from 3,492 to 11,222 conversations and the 24/7 availability come from Veilig Thuis. There are no figures yet on the effect on reports, referrals or the scale of domestic violence itself.Sources
- Veilig Thuis maakt chat 24 uur per dag en zeven dagen per week bereikbaar — Veilig Thuis
- Veilig Thuis — Rijksoverheid
- Opnieuw meer meldingen en adviezen Veilig Thuis — CBS
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „veilig thuis”
- RTL Nieuws — „veilig thuis”
- NOS — „veilig thuis”