Manual revised for timely protection against family violence
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) has launched a revised manual on the Integrated Management of Family Violence.
The revised manual aims to ensure better coordination across
agencies and to create a more robust system that will offer timely
protection and effective intervention for families at risk, said MCYS
Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
He was speaking at the National Family Violence Symposium on Wednesday.
The manual, first produced in 1999 and last reviewed in 2003,
spells out the protocols of agencies that are involved in the managing
of family violence cases.
These agencies play important roles in protecting, intervening, and
subsequently rehabilitating and supporting families experiencing
violence.
The revised manual includes new chapters by the Community Court,
schools and polyclinics as they are also important parts of the Family
Violence Networking System.
Dr Balakrishnan stressed that family protection is an extremely
challenging area of work, as it is psychologically, emotionally and
physically demanding. Counsellors have to balance the victims' desire
for privacy and to help them break free from a cycle of abuse.
He explained that it is usually thought that children and women are
victims of family violence. But there are other vulnerable groups,
including the elderly and adults with disabilities. They present unique
challenges for protection services.
By 2030, one in five residents in Singapore will be a senior citizen
and those aged 65 and above will leap from the current 300,000 to
900,000, increasing the potential pool of vulnerable adults.
Dr Balakrishnan said that though the current numbers of reported
elderly abuse remain small, with an average of 178 cases every year,
each case is one tragedy too many.
- CNA/ir