Child abuse, no matter the extent, has many consequences

I refer to the article “Less serious child abuse cases in Singapore on the rise: Inaugural report on family violence” (Sept 26).

Having an inaugural report is a good start in taking child abuse seriously, but there is a need to reconsider the use of the words “less serious child abuse”, which is problematic because whether caregivers use canes or belts to hit children excessively until there are scars and bruises (classified as Tier 1 abuse), or cause a broken nose and swelling in multiple parts of their body” (classified as Tier 2 abuse), there are long-term psychological consequences for all cases of child abuse. These consequences cannot necessarily be gauged according to what level of abuse is inflicted.