Families form the bedrock of Singapore society. They provide the essential building blocks required to nurture resilient individuals. However, issues such as poverty, incarceration, marital dissolution, teenage births and unwed single mothers can threaten the Singaporean Malay family unit. Between 2016 and 2020, the top three causes of Malay divorces were found to be infidelity, financial hardship and desertion. A study by the Ministry of Social and Family Development found that children of divorced parents tend to fare worse than their peers from intact families. Growing up, these individuals are also more likely to perpetuate the negative cycle by ending up divorced themselves.
To ensure that family dysfunctions do not spill over into the next generation, the government has introduced various upstream interventions to ensure that families remain strong and intact. Unfortunately, obstacles such as the arduous processes associated with applications for government support, social stigma attached to “failed” families and even certain worldviews held by the Malay community, may deter families from seeking the help that they need.
This roundtable discussion will examine the challenges faced by the community in nurturing successful families. Issues to be discussed will include factors that deter help-seeking behaviours and how these factors can be mitigated.
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