H. Con. Res. 107 Agreed to July 30, 1999

One Hundred Sixth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine

Concurrent Resolution

Whereas no segment of our society is more critical to the future

of human survival than our children;

Whereas children are a precious gift and responsibility given to

parents by God;

Whereas the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of children

are parents’ sacred duty;

Whereas parents have the right to expect Government to refrain

from interfering with them in fulfilling their sacred duty and

to render necessary assistance;

Whereas the Supreme Court has held that parents ‘‘who have

this primary responsibility for children’s well-being are entitled

to the support of laws designed to aid discharge of that responsibility’’ (Ginsberg v. New York, 390 U.S. 629, 639 (1968));

Whereas it is the obligation of all public policymakers not only

to support, but also to defend, the health and rights of parents,

families, and children;

Whereas information endangering children is being made public

and, in some instances, may be given unwarranted or unintended

credibility through release under professional titles or through

professional organizations;

Whereas elected officials have a duty to inform and counter actions

they consider damaging to children, parents, families, and society;

Whereas Congress has made sexual molestation and exploitation

of children a felony;

Whereas all credible studies in this area, including those published

by the American Psychological Association, condemn child sexual

abuse as criminal and harmful to children;

Whereas, once published and allowed to stand, scientific literature

may become a source for additional research;

Whereas the Psychological Bulletin has recently published a

severely flawed study, entitled ‘‘A Meta-Analytic Examination

of Assumed Properties of Child Sexual Abuse Using College Samples’’, which suggests that sexual relationships between adults

and children are less harmful than believed and might be positive

for ‘‘willing’’ children (Psychological Bulletin, vol. 124, No. 1,

July 1998);

Whereas, in order to clarify any inconsistencies between the two

conclusions the authors of the study suggest and the position

of the American Psychological Association that sexual relations
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between children and adults are abusive, exploitive, and reprehensible, and should never be considered or labeled as harmless

or acceptable, the American Psychological Association has issued

a public ‘‘Resolution Opposing Child Sexual Abuse’’;

Whereas the American Psychological Association should be

congratulated for publicly clarifying its opposition to any adultchild sexual relations, which will help to deny pedophiles from

citing ‘‘A Meta-Analytic Examination of Assumed Properties of

Child Sexual Abuse Using College Samples’’ in a legal defense,

and for resolving to evaluate the scientific articles it publishes

in light of their potential social, legal, and political implications;

Whereas the Supreme Court has recognized that ‘‘sexually exploited

children are unable to develop healthy affectionate relationships

in later life, have sexual dysfunctions, and have a tendency to

become sexual abusers as adults’’ (New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S.

747, 758, n.9 (1982));

Whereas Paidika—The Journal of Pedophilia, a publication advocating the legalization of sex with ‘‘willing’’ children, has published an article by one of the authors of the study, Robert

Bauserman, Ph.D. (see ‘‘Man-Boy Sexual Relationships in a CrossCultural Perspective,’’ vol. 2, No. 1, Summer 1989); and

Whereas pedophiles and organizations, such as the North American

Man-Boy Love Association, that advocate laws to permit sex

between adults and children are exploiting the study to promote

and justify child sexual abuse: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress—

(1) condemns and denounces all suggestions in the article

‘‘A Meta-Analytic Examination of Assumed Properties of Child

Sexual Abuse Using College Samples’’ that indicate that sexual

relationships between adults and ‘‘willing’’ children are less

harmful than believed and might be positive for ‘‘willing’’ children (Psychological Bulletin, vol. 124, No. 1, July 1998);

(2) vigorously opposes any public policy or legislative

attempts to normalize adult-child sex or to lower the age of

consent;

(3) urges the President likewise to reject and condemn,

in the strongest possible terms, any suggestion that sexual

relations between children and adults—regardless of the child’s

frame of mind—are anything but abusive, destructive,

exploitive, reprehensible, and punishable by law; and
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(4) encourages competent investigations to continue to

research the effects of child sexual abuse using the best methodology, so that the public, and public policymakers, may act

upon accurate information.

Attest:

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Attest:

Secretary of the Senate.