Less serious child abuse cases in Singapore on the rise

The number of less serious child abuse cases has been on the rise in the past few years, and those in primary school form the largest group of children abused by a loved one.

The number of new Tier 1 child abuse cases, defined as those with low to moderate safety and risk concerns, rose 17 per cent from 2,377 cases in 2021 to 2,787 cases in 2023.

Greater awareness and reporting of family violence, coupled with better detection of such violence, are behind the growing number of cases, said the inaugural Domestic Violence Trends report released by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Sept 26.

The report provides an overview of key family violence trends – including spousal and elder abuse – in Singapore, based on cases overseen by the MSF and community agencies, such as child protection specialist centres and family service centres (FSCs).

Meanwhile, the number of new Tier 2 child abuse cases fell slightly from 2,141 cases in 2021 to 2,011 cases in 2023. Early detection and intervention by community agencies would have prevented cases from escalating in risk, said an MSF spokeswoman.

Tier 2 cases are high-risk cases that may warrant removing the child from the family to keep the child safe, and are managed by the MSF’s Child Protective Service, while Tier 1 cases are managed by community agencies.

In Tier 2 cases, children may have severe injuries such as burns or fractures inflicted on them by their parents.

For example, in a Tier 2 case managed by the MSF, a man and his 16-year-old son fought when the teen refused to show his phone to his father. The son ended up with a broken nose and swelling in multiple parts of his body and required medical treatment in hospital.

While the report gave data only from 2021 to 2023, it noted that the number of new Tier 2 cases rose 63 per cent from 1,313 cases in 2020 to 2,141 cases in 2021.

This could suggest that families faced more stress and conflict during the Covid-19 pandemic, while the Government stepped up campaigns to raise awareness of child abuse, said the report.

Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling said the number of child abuse cases is “concerning”. 

She said the reasons for child abuse are multifaceted, including stressors relating to financial hardship or mental illness.

She pointed out that physical abuse is the most common type of abuse and that some of the children were excessively punished by their parents.

She said: “We recognise the role parents play when it comes to disciplining their children, but there is a line to be drawn when that discipline becomes overly harsh and excessive. And this could be seen if there are open wounds and very prevalent marks of abuse on the child.”

In such cases, the Child Protective Service will investigate the case and let the courts decide on the matter, she said.

She added: “Very importantly, any form of discipline has to be proportionate to the behaviour of the child. So excessive discipline that causes harm to the child is not something that we condone.”

In 2023, physical abuse was the most common primary type of abuse suffered by children in the new Tier 2 cases, followed by neglect. Taking the third spot was emotional and psychological abuse, while sexual abuse was the least common form of abuse.

Ms Joyz Tan, director of Fei Yue Family Service Centre, said that neglect is defined as when the parent fails to provide for the child’s basic needs, such as shelter, food and care.

More girls than boys were sexually abused in 2023.

Children from newborns to six-year-olds formed the largest group of new Tier 2 cases in 2023 as they tend to be more vulnerable, and more of these cases required the MSF to intervene to keep them safe, the report said.

However, for the less serious new Tier 1 cases, the largest group of abused children in 2023 were those aged between seven and 12.

Acting chief executive of Montfort Care Han Yah Yee said many Tier 1 cases involve harsh physical punishment. This is when parents, for example, use items such as canes or belts to hit their children excessively, until there are scars and bruises.

Social workers interviewed say that primary school children form the largest group of Tier 1 cases as they are better able than younger children to articulate their experiences. Many physical abuse cases are also spotted and reported by their teachers and counsellors.

If you are or suspect someone is facing family violence, please call the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline on 1800-777-0000.