Advocates fear that the Native Hawaiian community may be at risk as calls to a domestic violence helpline have increased throughout the pandemic, Honolulu Civil Beat reports.
On Tuesday, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Liliʻoukalani Trust and Kamehameha Schools released a report that the Hawaii non-profit Domestic Violence Action Center had experienced a 46 percent increase in calls to its helpline from March to October.
The center also provided legal information to 22 percent more domestic violence survivors during those months than it did in 2019.
Data collected before the onset of the pandemic suggests that Native Hawaiians experience higher than average rates of domestic abuse, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. University of Hawai’i News reported that more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men in Hawaiʻi have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The center said it had more than 840 contacts with Native Hawaiian clients from March to October.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and there are efforts being made to raise awareness about domestic violence throughout the state. On October 26, University of Hawai’i will hold a virtual candlelight vigil to remember those who have been lost to domestic violence and celebrate those who have survived.
“We hope to show those who face domestic violence that they are not alone, that there is help, that there is hope,” PAU Violence Program Coordinator Christopher Yanuaria told University of Hawai’i News. “We hope that all will find the time to join us and aim to make awareness of this issue open and less of a taboo.”
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story.
