Special commissioner Mariëtte Hamer and Rotterdam mayor Carola Schouten launched a pilot scheme on Wednesday using a toolkit called “the listening chair” to help hairdressers pick up signals of sexual domestic abuse and refer victims to professional support organisations.

According to research by Radboud University, one in three hairdressers pick up signs of abuse but are uncertain about what to do next.

It takes on average 30 to 35 incidents of sexual violence before people speak out about what is happening to them in their relationship or at home, and hairdressers can play a special part in encouraging that first step, Hamer said.

“Almost everyone visits the hairdresser’s more or less regularly. There is eye contact and conversations often become quite personal. Signals of abuse could be a lack of personal care, or a sudden change of hairstyle or a casual remark about a controlling partner,” she said.

The toolkit, distributed to all hairdressers in Rotterdam, contains cards with possible indicators of abuse and conversation techniques, as well as cards with the addresses of support organisations.

According to Therèse van ‘t Westende-de Bijl, director of hairdressers’ umbrella organisation Anko, hairdressers are a logical choice for the pilot.

“We have known for a long time that hairdressers can play an important role in people’s lives,” she said. “Not just because of looks but because you build a relationship. It is great to see that the toolkit acknowledges this and in the pilots we will see how hairdressers can work with it.”

Another pilot is in the pipeline for Friesland. Hamer said the toolkit could also be used by other professionals who have some degree of personal contact with clients, such as nail stylists and physiotherapists.