HONOLULU (Island News) -- The non-profit Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu provided an update and advice Sunday as part of April's National Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month & Sex Assault Awareness Month.
Det. Jolon Wagner, with HPD Sex Crimes stated, "We have seen an increase in reports of sexual assault and child physical abuse."
Lynn Costales Matsuoka, Executive Director of the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, Kapiolani Medical Center stated, "For the sex abuse treatment center, last year we saw 369 children, our youngest client was two years old."
The non-profit Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu provided an update and advice Sunday as part of April's National Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month & Sex Assault Awareness Month.
The sex abuse treatment center provides, treatment counseling, medical forensic exams of children and adults.
The five Children's Justice Centers in Hawaii last year tracked a combined total of 1839 cases of child sex abuse, felony physical abuse, child sex trafficking, internet crimes against children and children who witnessed a violent crime. It marks an increase of seven cases from 2023. Of the Children tracked by the Hawaii CJCs, 959 were interviewed at CJC.
Over the five-year period from 2020-2024, there were 9,627 reported child abuse cases in Hawaii. The actual number of cases of child abuse are suspected to be as much as double.
According to the CJC, the most prevalent form of abuse of a child in Hawaii remains sexual assault, however there is an alarming increase in cases of severe physical abuse with numbers growing on Maui and largely increasing in West Hawaii and Oahu in recent years.
Det. Wagner emphasized, "If a child feels they're in trouble, if anyone can recognize any warning signs, please call 911 or child welfare services."
Things to be on the lookout for include change of behaviors, dropping grades, loss of appetite, disturbance in sleeping patterns depression, and maybe the child doesn't want to go with a trusted adult that they used to go with.
Janell Agcaoili, Program Manager with Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu stated, "As a nonprofit of CJC, what we help out with - we make sure the children are comfortable when they're here."
One of the services includes providing immediate supplies for kids in need.
"We provide the snacks they get when they're here, in the interview rooms they get the quilts that are provided by two different quilting organizations, we have a program that involves professionals working with children, social workers, case workers - they can request items for the child, as far as things they feel will help bring their healing journey to a start", added Agcaoili.
Items that can be provided include something as simple as a laptop for school, clothing or numerous other things.
CJC funding is a consistent challenge and the sex abuse treatment center does rely on private donations,
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance or has a question, you're asked to call the Child Abuse or Neglect 24 hour reporting hotline.
It's toll free at 1-888-380-3088.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Child & Family Service (CFS) is calling on the community to get informed and take action to protect our keiki.
