Singapore domestic violence helpline receives 16,525 reports in a year

SINGAPORE: In a recent report released by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, there was an increase in requests for help that are related to domestic violence issues. The National Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) is said to have received 16,525 reports last year, an increase of nearly 50% from the previous year, having 11,068 reports.

It was also revealed that the number of incidents that were handled by the Domestic Violence Emergency Response Team doubled, reaching 1,439. 

Since September 2024, the government claimed that the police have been required to notify the helpline when handling domestic violence cases, primarily involving children or vulnerable adults. Hence, this is one of the reasons why there was an increase in reports.

Authorities pointed out that about 82% of the reports made last year required follow-ups, but some were existing cases, and others did not require formal intervention after assessment. 

Another reason for the increase in reports can be the public’s increased awareness of domestic violence and knowing how to seek help through various channels. 

Report details 

The data shows that there were 4,686 new low- to medium-level domestic violence cases last year. Among these, cases of child abuse were prevalent, totalling 2,476. There were also cases of spousal abuse, totalling 1,920, and cases of abuse against the elderly, totalling 290. Moreover, there were 2,021 new high-risk cases, of which 1,917 involved child abuse. 

The authorities also revealed that approximately 18% of high-risk child abuse cases are being re-handled by the government’s protection services within three years of their initial closure. 

Additionally, the Ministry of Social and Family Development stated that the preliminary data from the first half of this year show a slight increase in new high-risk domestic violence cases, while low- to medium-risk cases slightly decreased. 

Cases of abuse of high-risk children, spousal abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults have increased. Authorities said specific figures will be released in the 2027 domestic violence trends report.

Other related news 

In other news, there was a report that a therapist was fined $5,000 after dragging a 4-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome from his seat to the floor. 

This incident occurred after the boy allegedly slapped the therapist in her face repeatedly.

Read more about the news story here.