A state program tracked more child abuse cases in Hawaii in 2022 than in the previous two years, which saw cases fall during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a news conference Sunday, the Children’s Justice Centers of Hawaii said that in 2022 they tracked 2,114 cases of abuse in children ranging in age from infants to 17 years old. The cases, which were up 332 from 2020 and 54 from 2021, included reports of child sex abuse, felony physical abuse, child sex trafficking and children who witnessed a violent crime.

Jasmine Mau Mukai, statewide director of the CJCs, said during the news conference that overall the number of cases “went down during the pandemic but now appear to be going up. ”

Mau Mukai said cases decreased during the pandemic as schools, a major source of child abuse reporting, shut down and went online. She said the decrease reflected the lack of in-person interaction between students and those who are legally required to report suspected abuse.

There are five centers across the state, which are programs of the state Judiciary and provide homelike settings where children can feel comfortable and safe while they are being interviewed for cases. In 2022 some 949 children were interviewed at the centers. Mau Mukai said the number of children interviewed is often less than the number of cases as some of the victims may be too young to speak or may have left the islands or been interviewed by a field investigator instead.

Partner organizations joining the CJCs at the news conference included the O‘ahu Children’s Justice Center, the Honolulu Police Department Sex Crimes Detail, Child Welfare Services, the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the Sex Abuse Treatment Center and Girl Scout Troop 30, which at the event packed donated toiletries and toiletry bags that will be given to child victims of abuse.

Mau Mukai said sex abuse continues to be the most prevalent form of abuse, with girls representing the largest number of victims. However, Mau Mukai said the number of victimized boys has increased. She added that reports of physical abuse, as well as the number of children who witnessed a crime, especially domestic violence, also are on the upswing.

HPD Detective Jolon Wagner said the rise in online exploitation also is a growing concern.

“There has been a lot more videos and photos being taken. One of the biggest problems that is coming up is that sort of thing,” Wagner said.

Lynn Costales Matsuoka, executive director of the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, said children in 2022 made up more than 50% of the Sex Abuse Treatment Center’s client load, which is more than the year prior, and confirmed that cases with boys are rising. She attributes some of the increase to coming out of the pandemic, but added that better awareness and public education about child abuse has led more victims to admit abuse.

“It’s partly getting back to normal. People are talking about it more, too. Institutional abuse has kind of highlighted things — athletic departments, universities, Boy Scouts, the churches. Those cases that involve high-profile people nationally — Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein — all of those things open the door for more conversation about sexual assault, whether its kids or adults.”

To be sure, Hawaii’s CJCs reported that the children’s cases they tracked on Oahu in 2022 rose to 946, which was nearly 45% of all the cases tracked statewide. East Hawaii had 517 cases tracked, representing more than 24% of 2022’s statewide total. In West Hawaii there were 303 cases, which made up more than 14% of 2022’s cases statewide.

At 177 cases, Maui had more than 8% of the cases statewide in 2022. There were 171 cases tracked on Kauai, which was 8% of 2022’s statewide total.

Hannah Chin, program manager for the nonprofit Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Oahu, also reported an increase in partner agencies requesting its help — which rose to 1,065 in 2022, up from 1,001 the year prior. Chin said the nonprofit helped 784 children, up from 773 in 2021. She said it also provided 291 school backpacks and supplied 546 kids with holiday gifts.

Chin said the organization needs financial assistance and other donations as well as volunteer labor. To help, visit www.fcjcoahu.org.