Psychological Abuse is hard to prove

1. exhibiting domestic workers for passers-by to gawk at
2. advertisements which degrade the status of domestic workers, e.g.:
   • advertising a very cheap fee like one dollar, less than what a bowl of wonton soup costs
   • describing a domestic helper as obedient and thus making her like a servant, serf or slave.
3. imposing punishment on a domestic worker in a way that will humiliate her, e.g.:
   • making her stand in the corner, facing the wall;
   • making her pull her ears while doing squats;
   • making her cut her bra and panties, tie them together, and hang them around her neck while at the same time putting her hands on her head;
   • making her slap herself.
4. laughing at a her while subjecting her to humiliating treatment

Although complaints were made against acts which might humiliate those being punished, it is not quite clear if they can be said to be abuse and therefore punishable by imprisonment.

Even if it is legally punishable, psychological abuse is difficult to prove and often the abusers get away with it. In the first place, if a woman complains that her employer orders her to do something she feels is degrading, it would be very difficult to prove. If she lodges a complaint with the police without an supporting evidence of abuse, it is not like that the police can do anything about. And when her employer finds out that her FDW has tried to "get her into trouble", she may end up worse, end up being further abused. Perhaps that is why those who are abused this way does not do anything about it.

So what is the FDW to do if she believes that she or someone she knows is being abused psychologically? It is best to seek advice discreetly, so that her employer cannot later accuse her of "trying to get her into trouble". Her agent, if he/she is professional, will probably be a position to help with advice and perhaps support her request for a tranfer. If the agent is not helpful, then the FDW should seek advice from other quarters. But about the "goody-two-shoes", those whose advice causes further damage.

However, the stress of suffering in silence is not good and the domestic should seek advice. If the situation is really stressful, she should consider seeking a transfer. Sometimes, the possibility of losing the services of her domestic helper and having to pay for a replacement is enough to make Madam change.