NOT AS UNCOMMON AS WE THINK
Clinical psychologist Dr Annabelle Chow, who oversees a child psychology arm at her private practice Annabelle Psychology, shares a disconcerting fact: Child abuse cases are not as uncommon as we think.
In fact, Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) investigated 2,141 cases of child abuse in 2021 alone. In 2017, 40 per cent of child abuse and neglect cases involved children below the age of seven.
You might be wondering: Is neglect also a kind of abuse? It turns out that physical and sexual abuse, concepts many people are familiar with, aren’t all there is to it.
“Neglect occurs when a caregiver intentionally or unjustifiably fails to offer necessities like food, shelter, clothing, medical attention or needed supervision,” explained Dr Chow.
She also elaborated on emotional or psychological abuse, which hurts a child’s sense of self-worth.
“It can involve threats, shouts, criticism, blaming and humiliating acts. In a way, almost verbally bullying a child,” she said.
Given the insidious nature of child abuse, how can parents spot the signs before it’s too late?
Gladys Hu, a psychotherapist with close to a decade of experience at Fei Yue’s Child Protection Specialist Centre and Family Service Centres, sheds light on both physical and behavioural cues.
SPOTTING THE SIGNS
Hu points out that unexplained bruises in unusual places where kids don’t usually get hurt, such as the back, inner thighs and underarms, might raise red flags. Behavioural signs, on the other hand, can be more covert but equally important to notice.
- Avoidance or refusal of school
- Flinching easily and avoiding touch
- Fear of specific staff members of the school
- Mood changes (Becoming very withdrawn, aggressive or hypervigilant).
- Emotional changes (Increased irritability, crying, clinginess and outbursts).
- Sleep disturbances
- Loss of appetite
- Persistent reports of nightmares
- Frequent complaints of somatic, or physical symptoms, from the child even though they are otherwise healthy
- Frequent bedwetting in a child who is already toilet-trained
