Though it is certainly not the only instance of suspected child abuse in Hawai'i, the case of a malnourished, underweight 12-year-old girl has dominated headlines in the past month. We are horrified by the case for many reasons, but troubled especially because it seems this child slipped through the system.

"How could the state let that happen?" is the easy battle cry.

If you haven't noticed, the state lets lots of stuff happen. Elevators go unrepaired, reservoirs go uninspected, dangerous criminals get early parole. And that's stuff that's relatively easy to measure and audit and control as opposed to human behavior.

Government operates just like we do in our own homes — there's stuff we pay attention to on a regular basis, stuff we let slide until it breaks and stuff that's too difficult to deal with or horrible to think about so we just turn our attention elsewhere and hope our luck won't run out.

We can't take care of everything. Government is the same way. And lawmakers' priorities change with the spirit of the moment. State government is in a perpetual game of catch-up, of running to alarms and fighting fires, and explaining what the last administration did wrong.

So expecting the state Department of Human Services to have 100 percent control over the behavior and conduct of all its charges is unrealistic, as is the belief that every parent can be a great mommy or daddy. Ultimately, the blame for child abuse rests squarely on the head of the abusers.

One thing is certain: Making it a legal requirement for family members to report suspected abuse isn't going to make kids safer. It may, however, make some family situations more volatile. It could make troubled families more isolated because who wants to hang out with them or go to their house if you might be held liable for stuff that happens down the line?

It is one thing to require trained professionals such as physicians, teachers or police officers to report suspected child abuse. These people have the wisdom of experience, the knowledge of issues, and usually, the impartiality of a third party. But requiring people to make judgment calls on nebulous doubts, to make a report that will disrupt a family's home and to act out of concern for their own liability can only lead to trouble.

The motivation to report suspected abuse should come from concern for the child, not concern over covering one's behind should everything go wrong. Of course we should look out for children, all children, not just our own. But for the right reasons, not the punitive one.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.