In the first five months of this year, police registered over 3,800 cases of domestic violence, compared to just over 4,200 during the same period last year. In about one-third of these cases, underage children are either directly or indirectly affected. While the number of domestic violence reports has statistically declined year by year, the problem has not disappeared.

“Official statistics may show a decrease, but in reality, a large portion of domestic violence remains hidden. Many incidents never make it into the official numbers because victims are either afraid to seek help, don’t know how or don’t consider what happened serious enough to report. That’s why preventing domestic violence and supporting victims still requires systematic attention and adequate resources to have a lasting impact,” explained the PPA’s Lea Bärenson.

Kaire Tamm, head of victim support at the Social Insurance Board, emphasized that the numbers alone must not lead to the conclusion that the issue is going away — it is crucial to continue raising awareness, encouraging victims to speak up and offering support. This is especially important because thousands of children in Estonia are exposed to domestic violence each year. They witness violence between their parents and grow up in environments filled with fear and stress.

“A child is never just a bystander — violence in their surroundings affects them deeply, even if they aren’t directly harmed. A child raised in an environment where yelling, threats or hitting are routine absorbs an invisible lesson that such behavior is acceptable and normal. This can impact their future relationships, self-esteem, lead to difficulties in school, substance abuse or even violence in adulthood. That’s why it’s essential that interventions don’t focus solely on the immediate victim but always consider domestic violence cases from the child’s perspective,” Tamm added.

More read: ERR.EE