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(2) Any act which would constitute an offense under section 709-906, or underpart V
<br />or VI of chapter 707 committed against a minor family or household member by
<br />an adult family or household member.
<br />"Family and household members" are defined as spouses or reciprocal beneficiaries,
<br />former spouses or former reciprocal beneficiaries, persons who have a child in common, parents,
<br />children, persons related by consanguinity, persons jointly residing or formerly residing in the
<br />same dwelling unit, and persons who have or have had a dating relationship. Offenses for Abuse
<br />of Family and Household Members (AFHM) are found under HRS §709-906:
<br />"It shall be unlawful for any person, singly or in concert, to physically abuse a family Ar
<br />household member, or to refuse compliance with the lawful order of a police officer under
<br />subsection (4). The police, in investigating any complaint of abuse of a family or household
<br />member may, upon request, transport the abused person to a hospital or safe shelter."
<br />Table 1
<br />REPORTS FOR ABUSE OF FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD MEMBER* - HRS 709-906
<br />LOCATION
<br />1995
<br />F 1996
<br />1997
<br />City and County
<br />of Honolulu
<br />4,665
<br />5,966
<br />4,873
<br />1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
<br />4,107 3,211 3,586 3,508 31
<br />001
<br />CountyofMaui 3,147 3,004
<br />3,258
<br />3,431
<br />3,447 4,116 4,786 3,688
<br />FCountyofHawaii 985
<br />1,116
<br />1,091
<br />1,105
<br />1,028 1,256 1,196 987
<br />County of Kauai 368
<br />261
<br />245
<br />321
<br />327 484 520 620
<br />Total
<br />9,165
<br />10,347
<br />9,467
<br />8,964
<br />8,013
<br />9,442
<br />10,010
<br />8,296
<br />Source: County Police Departments
<br />Domestic violence incidents could also be classified under a multitude of other related
<br />offenses, ranging from felony arrest for assault to a misdemeanor arrest for harassment, or a "
<br />property offense (e.g., criminal property damage). Unfortunately these reports and arrests that
<br />involve domestic or family violence, particularly the felony level offenses, are not readily
<br />identified as such and therefore not included in the domestic violence statistics on Table 1. Non -
<br />reporting of incidents as domestic violence to law enforcement is due to a variety of reasons,
<br />such as fear of revictintization, cultural inhibitions, and frustration with the criminal justice
<br />response. Table 1 shows a 17% decrease in the number of reports filed by police between 2001
<br />and 2002 under the AFHM statute, among the lowest number of reports in the eight-year
<br />reporting period charted above. Maui Police Department continues to show an inordinately
<br />higher rate of reporting due to the fact that this is the only police department currently compiling
<br />reports for AFHM that include all verbal abuse incidents, which account for 69% of its reports in
<br />2002. They also logged the greatest decrease (22%) in the number of reports between 2001 and
<br />2002 (1,098).
<br />1 Missing July -September 2000
<br />
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