Department of Human Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2026

HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women (Commission) is partnering with the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary and the Hawaiʻi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Coalition) to announce the launch of a statewide survivor survey examining the effectiveness of safety strategies across the islands.

“This survey reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that Hawaiʻi’s protective order and stalking laws are effectively serving survivors and promoting their safety,” said Coalition Executive Director Angelina Mercado. “For the first time, survivors, advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, the judiciary and victim witness professionals have come together in a statewide effort to examine how our civil and criminal justice systems respond to domestic violence. This collaborative approach recognizes that meaningful change requires listening to those most impacted and working across every county to strengthen protections for survivors throughout Hawaiʻi. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has dedicated their time, expertise and partnership to this important work.”

The Hawaiʻi Safety Survey is part of a working group study to increase public safety, asking for community perspectives on the effectiveness of our current legal tools in keeping abused individuals and families safe, to inform future programs and policy recommendations.

“The survey will provide the working group with direct information from survivors in every Circuit,” said First Circuit Senior Family Court Judge Dyan M. Medeiros, who leads the working group. “This input will then be considered alongside other data to inform the working group’s recommendations. This is the first time that a survey of this kind and for this purpose has been conducted and my hope is that it will help us in our effort to ensure a safer Hawaiʻi for survivors and families.”

Recent research and advocacy on domestic violence have contributed to extending pilot programs that support family stability — and public conversations on survivor safety highlight the need for more data.

“We need to know what is working and what isn’t,” said Commission Executive Director Llasmin Chaine. “With this increased understanding of survivors’ needs and experiences, we can more accurately identify strategies to improve services, address barriers and prevent violence across the state.”

Take the Survey

The anonymous survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and is open to Hawaiʻi residents who have experienced stalking, harassment, domestic and/or sexual violence within romantic relationships (involving current or former spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends or dating partners).

Survey link: surveymonkey.com/r/8G2J5Q5

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Responses will be kept confidential and the anonymous data will be shared in a multiagency report to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature regarding the effectiveness of legal protections and recommendations to better safeguard victims and prevent future harm.

If you have questions about the survey, please email the commission at [email protected].

About the Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women

The Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women works to advance health, safety, opportunity and equality for women and girls through advocacy, education, collaboration and program development statewide.

About the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary

Hawaiʻi’s judicial branch is a unified state court system that functions under one administrative head, the Chief Justice of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court. The mission of the Judiciary, as an independent branch of government, is to administer justice in an impartial, efficient and accessible manner in accordance with the law.

About the Hawai‘i State Coalition Against Domestic Violence

HSCADV is a statewide partnership of domestic violence programs, shelters and allies. Our mission is to unite Hawaiʻi to end all forms of domestic violence. We are not a direct service provider.  If you are seeking shelter, case management or legal resources, please visit https://www.hscadv.org/find-help for additional resources.

 

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