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Child sex abuse on the rise
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Posted on Apr 01 2008
The Division of Youth Services has reported 572 child abuse cases throughout the CNMI last fiscal year, the highest of which is child sexual abuse, with a reported 156 cases from October 2006 to September 2007.
The 156 reported cases are a sharp spike compared to the 44 cases reported in 2000.
According to Child Protection Services supervisor Laura Ogumuro, the CNMI is seeing a rising trend in the area of child sexual abuse.
In past fiscal years, the total number of sexual abuse cases “is not even half of the 156 reported in fiscal year 2007.”
For the new fiscal year—October 1, 2007 to present—there have already been 42 reported cases of child sexual abuse.
“That’s a very huge number to begin with,” Ogumoro said.
The DYS report, “Statistical Summary of Children, Youth and Families,” noted that 112 cases of emotional abuse were reported to the agency in 2007; 115 cases of physical neglect; 25 cases of medical neglect; 78 cases of education neglect, and 108 cases of physical abuse.
Ogumoro said the reported cases of child physical abuse in the CNMI has always been high.
She said, though, that the increasing number of child abuse is a sign that more people have come forward to report them as opposed to 10 years ago, when people would rather keep quiet.
Ogumoro said that she believes that there are more cases of child abuse going unreported.
“We want people to know that for every report that comes in, identities are protected,” she said.
She emphasized that the complete elimination of child abuse in the Northern Marianas would require the all-out support from the community.
“We cannot do it alone. We are urging people to come out and report abuse cases to the DYS or to the police. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who can help you. Community involvement is very important,” Ogumoro said.
She said that there has also been an increase in teenage pregnancies and female teenagers shacking up with boyfriends who are three years or older than they are.
DYS is still in the middle of compiling the report for both types of cases.
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month. The event seeks to increase community involvement in preventing child abuse in the CNMI.
