#10 - Domestic and family violence: Before, during, and after the pandemic

Countries around the world have brought attention to domestic, family, or intimate partner violence in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, especially since rising unemployment is associated with a higher number of personal crises. In Singapore, cases of family violence, child abuse, spousal abuse, and elder abuse were documented even before the pandemic, and now - amidst a circuit breaker in Singapore - these worries deserve greater and continued attention.

On May 14, the Singapore Police Force said that police reports related to family violence increased by 22 per cent since the beginning of the circuit breaker period.

We focus on domestic, family, and intimate partner violence: Before, during, and after the pandemic. How should the public understand these forms of violence and abuse? What does help, support, and assistance look like? And more importantly, what are the important steps to make sure that policy recommendations and actions on this issue remain priorities, even after we emerge from the circuit breaker? For that, we turn to Chong Ning Qian, Senior Research Executive at the Association of Women for Action and Research.