Forum: Share more data on spousal violence to strengthen protection

The Ministry of Social and Family Development’s 2025 Domestic Violence Trends Report is a valuable step towards understanding the state of family violence in Singapore (More new cases of spousal, elder abuse in 2024 amid greater awareness of domestic violence, Dec 10). It provides detailed statistics on child, elder and vulnerable-adult abuse, broken down by gender, age group, type of abuse and even severity of cases.

Yet the section on spousal violence, one of the most common and socially significant forms of domestic abuse, remains surprisingly limited. We are told that new spousal abuse cases rose from 2,008 in 2023 to 2,136 in 2024, but little else.

There is no information on the gender of victims and perpetrators, the types of abuse involved, or how many cases were new or recurring. These data points are already collected by family service centres and protection specialist centres, yet they are not included.

Such details would not only improve public understanding but also strengthen prevention and policy design. Knowing, for instance, the proportion of women and men affected, the common age ranges, or the types of abuse most frequently reported – whether physical, emotional or financial – would help identify who is most at risk and where interventions should focus. Data on how many cases were repeat incidents or how they were referred (through police, hospitals or helplines) would also shed light on how well our systems detect danger early.

It would further strengthen the report to include information from the National Anti-Violence Hotline, which has become a key first point of disclosure for many survivors. Hotline data, such as the number of calls relating to spousal or dating violence, peak times and referral outcomes, would give a fuller picture of help-seeking behaviour and the real demand for services.

Comprehensive, transparent data helps everyone – not just policymakers or researchers, but also the social-service and mental-health professionals who support survivors daily. It enables better planning for shelters, counselling and legal aid, and builds public trust that our systems are responsive and evidence-driven.

Singapore has made important strides in tackling family violence. Sharing fuller data on spousal violence would deepen that progress, helping both the public and professionals work together for prevention and protection.

Bharathi Manogaran
Deputy Executive Director
AWARE