Covid-19: Counsellors watching out for expected rise in family abuse victims seeking help

SINGAPORE — With people being told to stay home for about a month to reduce the spread of Covid-19, social service organisations here are expecting to see a further rise in people seeking help for domestic violence and abuse in the coming weeks.

Speaking to TODAY on Tuesday (April 7) when the Government’s “circuit breaker” measures took effect, they pointed to a host of reasons such as having increased facetime with a potential abuser as well as having the added stress of managing children at home as potential triggers for domestic abuse and violence.

In response to TODAY’s queries, the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) said its helpline received 574 enquiries in February, which was 38 per cent higher compared with the same month last year. For calls related to family violence alone, the figures went up by 33 per cent in February compared with February last year.

In March, the helpline received 619 enquiries, a 35-per-cent increase compared with the same period last year. The enquiries are related to issues such as emotional and psychological distress, violence and abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Aware, which did not have the breakdown of the March numbers for the various types of enquiry.

To keep up with the increased demand in its services, Aware recently launched the Vulnerable Women’s Fund so that its services can continue during this period.

The rise in Aware’s helpline numbers prompted Nominated Member of Parliament Anthea Ong to raise the issue in Parliament on Monday, where she called for greater Government support for mental health issues, especially in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee noted that due to the Covid-19 outbreak, many people’s daily routines have been “sharply curtailed” and their livelihoods threatened.

“Such stressors and tensions, if prolonged, will have wider repercussions on relationships, marriages, families and communities. Hence, beyond financial and material support, we must shore up our own emotional and psychological well-being,” said Mr Lee.

He added that those in need of help may turn to the National Care Hotline set up by his ministry to offer emotional support to anyone facing stress, anxiety or simply needing someone to talk to. Details of the hotline will be announced soon.

Globally, there has also been a rise in reports of domestic violence and abuse among countries under lockdowns.

Australia, for instance, reportedly saw a 75 per cent increase in Google searches for help on domestic violence in March, while France’s Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that reports of domestic violence in the country have increased by more than 30 per cent in the two weeks since the country began its lockdown on March 17.

In Singapore, the first Covid-19 case was detected on Jan 23. In the subsequent weeks, the authorities put in place various measures while some companies started implementing telecommuting arrangements to get their employees to work from home.

POTENTIAL TRIGGERS

Ms Shailey Hingorani, who is the head of research and advocacy at Aware, said that there would typically be a surge in family violence during crises such as pandemics or economic recessions.

This is because abusers want to seek a sense of control in their lives which have been disrupted by the crisis. A financial crisis also meant that victims, who are usually women, do not have the financial independence to escape their abuser, said Ms Hingorani.

Ms Jagajit Kaur, a senior counsellor with self-help group Singapore Indian Development Association’s (Sinda) Family Service Centre, said that she expects an increase in domestic abuse and violence cases, given that most of the centre’s cases stay in small households such as one- and two-room flats.

While previously family members could leave the home, having everyone under the same room at the same time could increase the likelihood of conflict, and consequently abuse, said Ms Kaur.

Ms Kristine Lam, the lead social worker from family violence specialist centre Care Corner Project Start, also expressed concern that cases in domestic abuse and violence could rise this month.

Where work used to provide victims with a period of respite from issues at home, being in a situation where they have to stay home and are constantly exposed to psychological emotional violence will only lead to worry among victims, said Ms Lam.

For parents with school-going children, having to double up as both an educator and parent for their child may add to the stress and lead to more opportunities of conflict and abuse in the family, she added.

HELP AVAILABLE

With keeping the parties apart key to diffusing tension in families where abuse is likely to occur, social services are having to find different ways to help potential victims amid the Covid-19 situation.

Ms Kaur, for instance, said that she had to advise the father in one family to stay in his room as far as possible so as to reduce contact with other family members whom he has abused before.

In anticipation of a possible spike in cases, the counsellors in her agency have also encouraged clients who have applied for a personal protection order to call the police in the event of violence, and to contact Sinda’s counsellors if they are in need of help.

She also advised friends and families of those potential victims to check in regularly on them during this period.

Ms Lam said that her centre has also asked some of its clients to call the police and consider moving to a crisis shelter if they need to be away from an abusive family member.

To reduce situations where children interfere with their parents’ work, the centre encourages its clients to create schedules so that children know when their parents are able to spend time with them. This will help to reduce triggers for conflict and abuse, said Ms Lam.

Aware advised potential victims to formulate a safety plan for themselves, including a safe place to go to, an excuse to give the abuser and a secret stash of money, if they are in risk of abuse.

Organisations here which were interviewed stressed that their doors remain open for those who need help during this period.

• Sinda’s Family Service Centre’s counselling services will remain open to victims at high risk of violence, although consultations are only limited to a maximum of five people in a room at one time. Those in need may call the hotline at 1800 295 3333 or email queries [at] sinda.org.sg

• Care Corner Project Start will have its consultations with its clients through audio and video calls instead of face-to-face meetings. They will also continue to check-in with their clients during this period. Those in need may contact Project Start at 6476 1482 or projectstart [at] carecorner.org.sg

• While Aware’s walk-in service has been discontinued for now, it will continue to provide services such as counselling, legal clinics and support groups through phone or online platforms. It will continue to provide face-to-face support services for high-risk cases when necessary. Those in need may call the women’s helpline at 1800 777 5555, or the Sexual Assault Care Centre (SACC) helpline at 6779 0282. They may also send a WhatsApp message to SACC at 9781 4101.