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Problem-Solving Approach

"Public Education"

There can be more organizations and campaigns advocating on financial abuse. This can be held in the form of talks, workshops, exhibitions or advertisements. This is to encourage women to report incidents of domestic abuse, by destigmatizing victims and raising awareness about the criminal nature of such acts. Through eliminating the existing gender stereotype of financial control, women can be educated on their rights to financial authority at home. Seniors also must be educated about how to better protect their finances from possible abuse.

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(Family Violence, n.d.).

"Social Services"

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(Violence Prevention Centre, n.d.).

Currently, there are various family violence specialist centres such as PAVE, TRANS Safe Centre and Care Corner Project StART that specialise in tackling family violence. These agencies work with hospitals to better manage family violence cases. Some of which also provide counselling services and other assistance to manage individual’s problems. Individuals can also reach out to these organizations to apply for Personal Protection Order (PPO) against domestic abuse.

The services these organizations offer mainly caters to other forms of abuse, for when it comes to financial abuse, there are limited services.

Recommendations

These organizations can strengthen cooperation with NGOs providing shelter and rehabilitation to victims. It is crucial to help victims break their silence about the terror they endure at home. To do so, it would be optimal to rope in more partners, including the Housing Board and banks into the National Family Violence Networking System to come up with multi-disciplinary approaches to tackle cases of financial abuse

(Tan, 2016a).

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Social workers and government agencies hence play a huge part in encouraging the elderly and women to seek help to stop the abuse. If they seek help, social workers can come into play to tackle the underlying problems, some of which includes mental illness, addiction, or chronic unemployment - which are the roots that led to the occurrence of financial abuse.

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It is time to speak out. 

Abuse is very much a hidden problem among women and the elderly population now, especially with the fear of victim stigmatization. But we cannot allow such cases to come to light only when the hurt is done. We need greater awareness to have greater voice in the society and prevent the occurrence of abuse. Abuse is never acceptable, in any forms. Never normalize abuse.

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Singapore should adopt a problem-solving approach by expanding its laws on financial abuse for enforcement and prevention, social services and organizations should also continue its good efforts of advocacy, reaching out to the greater public on what financial abuse is, reducing victim stigmatization. Professionals can hence, come into play for intervention and rehabilitation for victims of such abuse. It is also the society's responsibility and efforts to ensure the well-being of individuals. 

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