One in 20 Dutch adults have been confronted with some form of domestic violence over the past five years and some 3% of children in the Netherlands face physical abuse and serious neglect, according to new research published on behalf of the government.

Eleven research institutes were involved in the project to compile a total picture of domestic abuse in the Netherlands since 2015 on behalf of the justice and health ministries.

The research shows that one in three cases of abuse involving adults is a one-off occurrence, but in one in five cases the abuse is structural. Women are five times more likely than men to be the victim of structural abuse by a partner or ex.

The researchers say there are no indications that domestic abuse is increasing but that changing research methods make it difficult to make comparisons. Some research indicates a drop in abuse among younger generations and this could be due to ‘reduced tolerance for violence in a private setting,’ the researchers say.

The government on Wednesday launched a campaign urging friends and neighbours to get involved if they suspect someone they know is being abused. The focus of the launch campaign is on child abuse.

Justice ministry research in the wake of the previous anti abuse campaign (het houdt niet op) shows that while 40% of people polled had suspicions that a child was being abused, nearly two-thirds of them only discussed the issue with their partners or people who were not aware of the situation.