Photo/Illutration The entrance to an event space inside the Children and Families Agency (Mari Fujisaki)

Child abuse consultation centers across Japan fielded a record number of reports in fiscal 2022--the 32nd consecutive year that child abuse reports in Japan have risen.

According to the preliminary figures released by the Children and Families Agency on Sept. 7, FY 2022 saw 219,170 cases of reported child abuse, 11,510 more than the previous year.

Breaking down the numbers into types of abuse, psychological abuse accounted for 59.1 percent, or 129,484 of the cases.

That was followed by physical abuse at 23.6 percent, or 51,679 cases, neglect at 16.2 percent, or 35,556 cases, and sexual abuse at 1.1 percent, or 2,451 cases.

Police and other authorities reported 51.5 percent of the total, or 112,965 cases. Neighbors and acquaintances followed at 11 percent, or 24,174 cases, family and relatives at 8.4 percent, or 18,436 cases, and schools at 6.8 percent, or 14,987 cases.

The increase in these cases at child abuse consultation centers can be attributed to the growing number of reports from police and other authorities. Of the 11,510 cases that increased from the previous fiscal year, more than 80 percent, or 9,861, were referred by the police or other authorities.

In total, 74 children died due to abuse in FY 2021 nationwide, three less than the fiscal year before. Of those 74 children, 50 died for reasons other than a parent taking the child’s life along with their own.

By age, infants under age 1 accounted for 24 of the deaths, almost half. Of these, infants less than a month old accounted for the highest number with six. Three died within 24 hours of birth.

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