Child abuse continues to be a growing problem in the four-state area – and in Berkeley County, the numbers keep going up.

There were 99 severe child abuse investigations in Berkeley County in 2011 – last year, there were 138. Between 2014 and 2015, they jumped by 27 percent.

But advocates at the Safe Haven Center in Martinsburg said it doesn’t have to be that way.

“Child abuse is completely preventable,” said Amber Gomes, coordinator at the Safe Haven Child Advocacy Center.

She said in most situations, a caregiver with a watchful eye is enough to prevent these cases from happening in the first place. When it isn’t enough, the children can come to the Child Advocacy Center – where the goal is to have a child-friendly atmosphere, which feels less like an interrogation.

In the past year, nearly 200 new children walked into the Safe Haven Center to speak with trained forensic interviewers. 68 percent of them disclosed that they were abused, and of that number, 89 of them reported that they were sexually abused.

Sgt. Will Garrett with West Virginia State Police has had his share of high-profile sexual abuse cases recently – two of which involve a Jefferson High School teacher (Joel Ziler) and a county commissioner (Eric Bell).

“When you have people in a position of trust, such as a teacher or a doctor, the lack of any kind of personal boundaries tends to be a big factor in what happens,” Garrett said.

Another factor is the internet and social media, which can make possible victims more vulnerable.

“Be involved in your kids’ lives, and know what’s going on,” Garrett added, “especially when it comes to the internet exploitation.”

“It can be really hard to hear and see repeated accounts of child abuse day after day. But the really wonderful part is that children are so resilient,” Gomes said. So on top of seeing them go through these really traumatic situations, we also have the unique opportunity to see them bounce back and recover – which is very, very special.”