“Some men may initially minimise what is happening (to them) or see it as part of ordinary marital disagreements,” Anne Chui, head of Allkin Family Service Centre@Ang Mo Kio 230, told The Straits Times.
That reluctance is slowly yielding to reality in Singapore. Men accounted for 18% of all reported spousal abuse victims in 2025, according to data released by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).
Rising Numbers and Changing Disclosures in 2025
The latest Domestic Violence Trends Report, published on Oct 29, shows that 337 husbands sought help for spousal violence in 2025. That figure represents a 12% increase from the 302 cases recorded in 2024. For the first time, the annual report provided a clear gender breakdown for spousal violence: wives made up 82% of victims, while husbands accounted for 18%.
Across all households, lower-risk spousal violence cases—classified as Tier 1—climbed steadily over a two-year window. The Ministry recorded 1,920 Tier 1 spousal cases in 2025, up from 1,871 in 2024 and 1,560 in 2023. More than half of all abused spouses fall into their 30s or 40s.
Physical violence remains the primary form of harm for about two in three victims. Emotional and psychological abuse stands as the second most common category. Social workers note that victims frequently endure overlapping forms of maltreatment.
The Stigma Behind Husbands Under-Reporting Abuse
Social workers point out that men often stay silent due to shame and traditional expectations of how men should behave. Beyond being hit, scratched and having objects thrown at them, male victims face sustained psychological pressure.
Cherylene Aw, senior director at TRANS Family Services, explained that affected husbands are often constantly belittled, humiliated, and threatened by their wives. In many instances, abusers restrict their victims’ social contact, monitor daily activities, and exert control over their decisions.
Anne Chui added that men frequently brush off early warning signs as normal marital friction. They typically reach out for professional support only when the situation escalates, when they become concerned for their own safety, or when the conflict begins to affect their children.
Broader Domestic Trends Across Vulnerable Groups
The 43-page MSF report also tracks broader trends in elder abuse and child protection. Lower-risk elder abuse cases rose 26% from 230 incidents in 2023 to 290 in 2025. Two in three abused seniors were women, with physical violence and emotional and psychological abuse leading the metrics.
High-risk intervention cases handled by the ministry’s Protective Service also shifted across demographics. A total of 1,917 higher-risk child abuse cases were taken by the Ministry of Social and Family Development’s (MSF) Protective Service for statutory intervention in 2025, with majority of victims aged seven to 12. Concurrently, the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline (NAVH) logged 16,525 reports in 2025, marking an increase of nearly 50% compared to 11,068 reports in 2024.
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