Public perceptions of child maltreatment in Singapore: Differences between 1994 and 2010

Perceptions of child maltreatment have been associated with reporting attitudes, and can inform efforts to encourage members of the public to report suspected maltreatment. However, limited research has been done to investigate differences in the public's perceptions of maltreatment over time. Public perceptions of child maltreatment in Singapore were last studied in 1994 (n = 401; Elliott, Tong, & Tan, 1997). To understand differences through time, we replicated the 1994 study and surveyed 400 members of the public in 2010. The present report examined (1) differences in perceptions of potentially abusive behaviors between 1994 and 2010; (2) differences in attitudes toward reporting maltreatment; and (3) the association between perceptions of maltreatment and reporting attitudes. Findings suggested that over 16 years, respondents became more tentative when determining the abusiveness of ambiguous behaviors. Differences over time also depended on respondents' education level and age. Attitudes toward reporting maltreatment continued to be positive, and respondents who were more likely to perceive behaviors as abusive indicated that they were also more likely to support reporting suspected maltreatment. Findings suggest that the public's tentativeness in perceiving ambiguous behaviors as abusive could be related to reduced support for the reporting of maltreatment. Public education could focus on raising awareness of the potential harmfulness of ambiguous behaviors to improve the public's ability to detect and report suspected maltreatment.