Island Voices
Abused children could use your help
This is the last in a series of articles from Hawai'i's Judiciary marking Law Week in Hawai'i.
By R. Mark Browning
Hawai'i Family Court judge
Judy is 13 years old. Both her parents are professionals who provide their children with a nice home and with all the material items they need.
When Judy was 12, she ran away from home because her father was sexually abusing her. When she returned home days later, Judy's mother and father beat her. Judy ran away again — she became a drug addict and a thief and was eventually arrested. Upon turning 13 years of age, she became pregnant.
In the last year, Judy has had an abortion and has been in at least 20 different foster homes. Next month, Judy will turn 14.
Judy's case is not unlike the thousands in Family Court each year.
In Hawai'i today, more than 4,000 children are in foster care. In February alone, there were 133 new child-abuse cases brought to Family Court. The children come from all types of backgrounds, because child abuse crosses all ethnic, social, cultural and educational lines. Abused children (like Judy) will likely become drug addicts, law violators and runaways as a direct result of the child abuse they suffered. Many were part of last year's 5,022 juvenile cases referred to Family Court.
These numbers indicate a crisis in our community. The answer to this crisis is not more government involvement. Government has attempted to address the problem of child abuse for years, yet more children are abused each day.
The reality is that there are simply not enough social workers, not enough social programs, not enough judges, not enough money — not enough of everything — to halt the continuing tragedy of child abuse.
Child abuse will only diminish when individuals take ownership of this problem and acknowledge that (to borrow a much-used phrase) it does take a village to raise a child.
Individuals can make a difference in the lives of others, and progress is measured in small acts of grace and love that collectively equate to great victories. A person can make a difference in a number of ways. You can become more involved in your own child's life, become a coach or a youth leader or a foster parent. (Foster parents are greatly needed in Hawai'i.) Another way is to be involved in government/community partnerships like Project Visitation.
Because of the shortage of social workers and the vast numbers of children in foster homes, brothers and sisters who have lost their parents (whom they still love despite the abuse) also lose the comfort and love of the only family they can cling to ö their siblings. Under the current situation, brothers and sisters who are placed in different foster homes go months without seeing each other. It is one more deep emotional scar abused children are forced to bear.
The Judiciary, in partnership with the Department of Human Services and the community, developed a program made up of volunteers who pick up siblings and bring them together by taking the children on outings — a trip to the zoo, a picnic, a movie or a lunch at McDonald's.
To meet the needs of these children, Project Visitation needs more volunteers. The time commitment is minimal, but the joy you will experience in making a difference in the lives of children will be immeasurable. To volunteer, call Na Keiki Law Center at 536-3412.
A concerned citizen can directly impact the life of abused and neglected children by becoming a volunteer guardian ad litem, another Judiciary program that relies on volunteers. As a fact finder, the guardian ad litem contacts the family, the child and agencies involved in the child's care, and submits written reports to help judges make sound decisions concerning the child's best interests. The guardian ad litem protects the child from insensitive questioning and makes sure the child has legal counsel, if necessary. The guardian ad litem advocates for the child, monitors developments to be sure court orders are carried out, and brings to the court's attention changes in the family's or child's life that may warrant changes in the court orders. Essentially, the guardian ad litem is the voice of an abused or neglected child.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer guardian ad litem, please call 538-5930.
Another way to help is to volunteer with the Friends of the Children's Advocacy Center, a community partnership with the Judiciary. There are numerous ways to help: from mentoring an older teen leaving foster care to "one-shot projects" such as helping with back-to-school supplies, Christmas presents and Easter baskets. You can help as an individual, a business or a service organization. If you are interested, call 599-2955.
What is important is that we become involved. Our children need each of us to be part of their lives now, and our future as a community depends on our dedication and commitment to their future.
On behalf of our children, I ask, "If not you, then who?"
