Child Abuse and Domestic Violence

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, Chua Chu Kang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education what is the education programme on child abuse and domestic violence awareness and the channels available for primary school students to alert teachers or the authorities should they or any of their family members are in an abusive or violent relationship.

Response

1. The safety and well-being of every child is of utmost importance in our schools. In primary schools, students are taught personal safety and how to safeguard themselves against abuse in an age-appropriate manner. Students are also equipped with skills to seek help. This includes listing the trusted adults whom they can turn to for help. They are also encouraged to look out for their peers and seek help for those who display any signs of distress.
2. There are also system-wide efforts to support children who are victims of abuse and domestic violence. Students who face such situations can report them to their Teachers, School Counsellors or Student Welfare Officers. Teachers also monitor the well-being of the students and look out for students who are at risk of such abuses. All School Counsellors and Student Welfare Officers are trained to use the Child Abuse Reporting Guide which was jointly developed by Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministries with frontline staff working with children (e.g. Education, Health, Police). In turn, the School Counsellors train the teachers in their school to pick up signs of child abuse using the Sector Specific Screening Guide (Education).
3. Principals report suspected child abuse cases, including exposure to family violence, immediately to the Child Protective Service, and work closely with the Child Protection Officers and/or Approved Welfare Officers to ensure that timely intervention is provided for the children involved.