Advisory warns parents, students about youth-related crime, including scams and voyeurism
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The advisory sent in October via the Parents Gateway app explains the nature of various crimes, such as Kpod use and scams.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Follow topic:
- The police, together with other agencies, issued a joint advisory to students, parents covering scams, theft, rioting, vaping, intimate images, weapons, and drugs.
- The advisory details each crime, potential consequences (e.g., jail, fines, caning for distributing intimate images), and prevention tips, noting common scams and drug abuse trends.
- Experts advise open communication, digital literacy, and healthy exploration to mitigate risks, and schools should integrate risk awareness into activities and education.
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SINGAPORE – Parents of secondary school and junior college students here have received an advisory on crime-related issues ahead of the school holiday season.
Sent in October via the Parents Gateway app, it covers behaviours such as sharing intimate images and voyeurism as it also cautions against e-commerce and phishing scams, among other crimes.
The four-page advisory, which also covers crimes like weapon possession, shop theft, cheating and drug use, was issued by the Singapore Police Force, Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), National Crime Prevention Council and National Council Against Drug Abuse.
It explains the nature of each offence, giving examples of how such crimes might occur, potential consequences for offenders, and tips on how students can protect themselves.
On the topic of distributing intimate images, the advisory warned against sharing any such images or recordings online. “If you receive such images or recordings, delete them immediately and do not forward. Sharing such images or recordings can cause serious harm to the victim and is also an offence,” it said.
Individuals should report to the police, teachers or family members if they are aware of such materials being circulated, the advisory added.
Offenders found guilty of distributing intimate images will be punished with up to five years in jail and may be subject to a fine or caning, it said.
The joint advisory said that e-commerce, job and phishing scams are the common scams that affect youth. It provides signs that one can look out for to identify each type of scam and reminders on how students can protect themselves.
In the first half of 2025, more than 1,000 young people fell victim to scams, and over 300 were arrested for their involvement in scams, the advisory said.
The advisory also included six points on drug and inhalant abuse, warning about Kpods – or vapes laced with etomidate – the law against taking drugs overseas and online drug activities.
According to the mid-year crime brief more than 460 young people
A total of 126 new drug abusers under the age of 20 were arrested in 2024, 30 per cent more than in 2023, the CNB said in its annual statistics report
In November 2024, the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s first Supporting Youth Rehabilitation Trends Report
A total of 509 young offenders – those aged 10 to below 21 – committed shop theft, and 422 people in the same age group engaged in cheating-related offences. There were also 250 young people who committed sexual offences involving penetration.
The report added that the offending rate of Singapore’s youth has remained low at an average of 5.2 per 1,000 individuals from 2019 to 2023.
Dr Annabelle Chow, principal clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology, said students today face risks that extend into social, emotional and digital spaces, and they are growing up in a more complex environment where boundaries are easily blurred.
The end-of-year period is also a “critical window of vulnerability” for students, she said, as they have more free time and less adult supervision, and are subject to greater peer influence.
This increases the likelihood of risk-taking, Dr Chow said, adding that youth also spend more time online during the holidays.
“For some, the break from routine and school connection can heighten feelings of loneliness or boredom which may lead to impulsive decisions,” she added.
Compared with the past, the majority of today’s risks are behind screens, encrypted messages or private social media accounts, which makes early detection harder, Dr Chow said.
Young people also face more pressures due to comparisons on social media and high expectations academically and socially.
And so adults have to be more attuned and involved than before, she said.
Parents can help by maintaining open and non-judgmental dialogue, regularly checking in with their children, asking questions out of curiosity rather than to criticise, and focusing on understanding their experiences, Dr Chow said.
Parents should teach digital literacy and healthy boundaries, recognise pressures to take part in illegal activities, and model consistent behaviour to their children, she said, adding that they should also work with schools.
Schools can raise these topics during assemblies or integrate them into classroom lessons so students can better understand the risks, and keep students socially connected and supervised during holidays through activities or programmes, Dr Chow said.
Mr Narasimman Tivasiha Mani, co-founder of charity Impart who works with youth facing adversities, said that various youth segments are increasingly confronted with crime, especially in the digital landscape that exposes youth to risks and opportunities.
However, amid these concerns, it should be recognised that adolescence is a time for exploration and identity development, he added.
“Healthy risk-taking plays a crucial role in this process,” Mr Narasimman said. “It allows teens to seek excitement in socially acceptable ways while practising decision-making skills.
“By engaging in healthy risks, they can bridge the gap between reward-seeking behaviour and self-regulation, fostering cognitive growth.”
Schools and parents should work together to discuss not just the dangers but also the importance of healthy exploration, Mr Narasimman said, encouraging young people to navigate areas of curiosity responsibly so they make wise choices.
