CNMI's Department of Youth says economic hardship has an effect in the family dynamic and contibutes to child abuse and neglect cases. Photo: 123RF
The Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) government recorded an increase in child abuse and neglect cases last year.
The US territory's Division of Youth Services (DYS) reported that child abuse and neglect cases rose from 455 cases in fiscal year 2023 to 535 cases (17.58 percent increase) in fiscal year 2024.
It also reported that child victims' accusations - both primary and secondary - increased by from 1184 to 1474 (24.49 percent) during the same period.
DYS director Vivian Sablan said that secondary child victims' accusations are typically other children in the case, who are indirectly affected by the abuse as opposed to direct victims.
"There is also a thing called indirect, but they are classified as secondary because they also suffer the emotional abuse, the other stuff that comes along, for example, sexual abuse," she said during a recent meeting with the CNMI chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Data from DYS also showed that physical abuse went up from 115 to 116, sexual abuse decreased from 109 to 95, emotional abuse rose from 257 to 266, neglect in general from 203 to 258, and others (support services, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, minor sex trafficking, truancy, suicidal) grew from 190 to 297.
The DYS also acknowledged economic hardships have an effect in the family dynamic, specially when it comes to child abuse and neglect cases.
"We know for sure that there is a correlation. When parents are stressed, a lot of things can happen in the home or not happen," Sablan said.
"For example, neglect. Sometimes medical needs are not paid attention to. Food, maybe the living environment, conditions of the home. But it does have a correlation."
The issue also trickles down to illegal drug use, she said.
"So far this year, we had a total of three babies that were born positive with meth in their system.
"We also had 28 calls of possible drug concerns in the home. So that is where we go in and we just see if there is drug use and just to make sure that the kids are safe. So that's another issue that we're having," she added.
The CNMI's multicultural society also poses a challenge for authorities.
"I forgot what culture was [and what] islands they [came from, but] waterboarding was okay for them," child protection officer Juanicia Villanueva said.
"I mean regardless of the background they come from, we still have to teach the parents and educate them about the difference between abuse and discipline," she said.
Villanueva reminded parents that times have changed and what was acceptable before isn't acceptable now and what's acceptable in their home country isn't acceptable in the US.
"Even me, 20 years ago it was okay what our parents did to us, but that has changed.
"It's 2025, we tell [parents that] you got to put those disciplining methods, and I know culture plays a big part. But like I said, we've evolved. We're living in 2025."
Sablan said another reason for the rise in number of child abuse and neglect cases the past couple of years is DYS being more effective in its awareness campaigns.
"We like to look at it as our awareness being better," she said.
"The community is more comfortable. We used to be thought of as people that broke families apart. People are afraid of us. We take their children away.
"But we are trying to change that mindset and being able to make the families be as comfortable as they can be coming to us.
"Not necessarily wait until something happens, but to come to us for help and support. We have invested a lot. There is a lot of funding that is also going to prevention."
