There has been more than a 60% increase on Hawaii Island between 2021 and 2023 in the number of participants in programs aimed at the prevention of domestic violence, according to a statewide private nonprofit organization providing those services.
According to Child &Family Service, there were 976 people enrolled in CFS’s DV programs in Hilo and Kona in Fiscal Year 2021. That number increased to 1,009 in FY 2022. And in FY 2023, there was a major spike, with 1,606 participants.
That’s a sobering statistic, especially in October, which is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“Between 2021 and 2023, we had a more than 60% increase in the number of people that we serve. We did add another program but that, in and of itself, doesn’t explain such a huge increase,” Christine Fliniau, a domestic violence expert and CFS’s director of East Hawaii programs told the Tribune-Herald on Tuesday.
Fliniau added that a statewide increase in calls to the DV hotlines and other DV services occurred during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“But for us here on Hawaii Island, it seems like we’ve seen more of an increase as we’ve come out of the pandemic,” she said. “I don’t know why we’re seeing so many more numbers in the last few years, because a 60% increase is a significant increase.
“I can say there’s a lot of external factors in our community that don’t cause domestic violence, but can increase the likelihood of it happening, things that cause stress. You look at some of the social determinants in our county — we have the highest poverty rate of any county in Hawaii. We have some of the poorest health outcomes. And we’ve had what seems to be ongoing natural disasters since I moved here in 2013, like (Tropical Storm) Iselle, like volcanic eruptions. Those events really did displace people. And between 2018 and 2020, our East Hawaii shelter served more survivors than any of our CFS shelters in the state.”
CFS provides a multitude of programs designed to strengthen the safety net provided by friends and family of domestic abuse survivors, helps people to escape unsafe situations, and encourages abusers to find the counseling and resources available to stop the violence.
“We try to serve everyone,” Fliniau said. “We try to have this holistic approach where we serve not just the survivor, but the survivor’s children and also the individuals who abuse. Because that’s the most effective way of actually breaking the cycle of domestic violence.”
Despite the increasing demand for shelter and services, funding to operate the shelters has remained the same for years. This creates challenges for CFS and other local nonprofits as they provide services for more people every year.
“Our island communities are facing a rise of domestic violence cases, and it’s more crucial than ever that we come together to provide support and resources,” said Amanda Pump, CFS executive vice president and chief program officer. “As we strive to serve Hawaii’s local families, the need to address domestic violence is not just a statistic, it’s a call to action.”
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on average, nearly 24 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. Yearly, that equates to more than 10 million women and men who experience domestic violence.
Fliniau said there are “red flags” that can be a tip a loved one is experiencing domestic violence.
“Isolation is often one of the first signs of domestic violence,” she noted. “In the beginning, it can be subtle things to isolate the individual, and it can occur over a period of time. It could look like the picture-perfect relationship in the beginning, but when somebody begins to assert their need to control, then you see things like life activity changes.”
Fliniau said signs of physical abuse can be bruises or other injuries, with the victim providing a reason that doesn’t make sense. Another sign can be if someone who doesn’t usually wear long sleeves or clothes that cover the entire body starts doing so.
She said friends and family should point out what they see and share their concerns, but to do so and ask questions in private, away from the likely abuser.
According to Fliniau, abuse can also take other forms.
“The thing people know the most is physical abuse, but the reality is it’s not just physical abuse,” she said. “In some cases, it’s emotional abuse, it can be sexual, as well, or it can also be financial abuse.
“Financial abuse is probably the least recognized of all the forms of abuse. Financial abuse usually starts with isolation and then one partner takes over all the finances. And suddenly, the victim no longer has access to money. … In some cases, the abuser may run up the victim’s credit cards and put them in debt where it’s hard to get out on your own and leave.”
Experts say well-meaning questions — such as “why don’t you just leave?” — serve to blame or revictimize the person being abused.
“Let them know you’re there for them, and you support them, no matter what,” Fliniau said. “The controlling partner may have all the resources the victim needs to get a fresh start — their birth certificate, Social Security card, credit cards, bank account. It can take time for someone to remove themselves from an abusive relationship.”
Fliniau said for those who choose to leave an abuser, CFS services include helping the victims file for a temporary restraining order.
“We don’t just help them fill out the TRO paperwork, we actually assess the risk,” she said. “We give them referrals to the domestic abuse shelter and other community resources. We also give them resources and tools to develop a safety plan. We sometimes help them with contacting police and making a police report, if that’s what they want to do.
“We also do court advocacy because it can be scary for a victim to go to court and face off with the abuser. So, we have an advocate who goes with the victim to court.”
Visit Childandfamilyservice.org for a list of programs for domestic abuse survivors. Shelters are open 24 hours a day in East and West Hawaii for those seeking a safe space.
The CFS domestic violence hotline numbers are (808) 959-8864 in East Hawaii and (808) 322-7233 in West Hawaii.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
