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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 307 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 307

  Expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Child Abuse 
                           Prevention Month.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 19, 2023

Mr. Joyce of Ohio (for himself, Ms. Kuster, Ms. Porter, Mr. Bacon, Ms. 
Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Pappas, and Mr. Costa) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
                               Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Child Abuse 
                           Prevention Month.

Whereas children are fundamental to the success of our Nation and will shape the 
        future of the United States;
Whereas elected representatives and leaders in our communities must be ever 
        vigilant and proactive in support of evidence-based means to prevent 
        child abuse and support families;
Whereas adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic experiences that 
        occur during childhood with lasting long-term effects and include 
        experiences such as child abuse and neglect, witnessing violence, or 
        growing up in a household with a family member with a substance use 
        disorder;
Whereas at least 5 of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with 
        ACEs;
Whereas preventing ACEs could reduce many health conditions, including up to 
        21,000,000 cases of depression, 1,900,000 cases of heart disease, and 
        2,500,000 cases of overweight and obesity;
Whereas every child is filled with tremendous promise, and we all have a 
        collective responsibility to prevent ACEs, foster the potential of every 
        child, and promote positive childhood experience;
Whereas investments in primary prevention pay off as studies show that the total 
        lifetime economic burden associated with treating the consequences of 
        child maltreatment is approximately $2,000,000,000,000;
Whereas economic adversity has been observed as an increased risk for potential 
        abuse of children;
Whereas, in 2021, an estimated 7,176,600 children were referred to child 
        protective services agencies, alleging maltreatment;
Whereas 2020 saw more than 21,700,000 reports of suspected child sexual 
        exploitation made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
        Children's CyberTipline, which marked the highest number of reports ever 
        received in 1 year;
Whereas 84,900,000 pieces of child exploitation materials were reported in 2021;
Whereas reports indicate that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience sexual 
        abuse before their 18th birthday with 42,000,000 estimated child sexual 
        abuse survivors in the United States;
Whereas approximately 1 in 7 children in the United States has experienced child 
        abuse, neglect, or both during the past year;
Whereas 1 in 5 children has received a sexual approach or solicitation on the 
        internet during the past year;
Whereas 70 percent of child sexual abuse victims reported perpetration by a 
        juvenile offender, often an acquaintance and 91 percent of victims are 
        abused by a person they know and trust;
Whereas children who are sexually abused, when not provided appropriate 
        treatment, often suffer from lifelong problems, such as physical and 
        mental health issues, and higher risk of drug and alcohol abuse, and 
        suicide;
Whereas children who are abused or neglected are more likely to be arrested for 
        delinquent behavior as juveniles;
Whereas children who have experienced abuse are more likely to be arrested for 
        violent and criminal behavior as adults;
Whereas education and awareness of possible signs of child abuse should be 
        prioritized for purposes of prevention;
Whereas, by intervening to prevent adversity and build resilience during a 
        child's most critical years of development, voluntary, evidence-based, 
        home-visiting programs like Healthy Families America, the signature 
        home-visiting program of Prevent Child Abuse America, have shown 
        positive impact on reducing the recurrence of child abuse and neglect, 
        decreased low-birthweight babies, improved school readiness for 
        children, and increased high school graduation rates for parents;
Whereas Keep Kids Safe is a survivor-centered coalition of organizations 
        dedicated to preventing sexual violence against children and 
        adolescents, and to healing and justice for survivors;
Whereas this coalition includes the Monique Burr Foundation, Darkness to Light, 
        Together for Girls, the SNAP network, the Army of Survivors, and the 
        National Children's Alliance; and
Whereas these organizations play a critical role in preventing childhood abuse 
        and child sexual abuse and helping survivors heal and seek justice: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for the goals and ideals of National 
        Child Abuse Prevention Month;
            (2) recognizes child abuse and child sexual abuse is 
        preventable and that a healthy and prosperous society depends 
        on strong families and communities;
            (3) supports efforts to increase the awareness of, and 
        provide education for, the general public of the United States, 
        related to the prevention of child abuse and protective factors 
        for families;
            (4) supports the efforts to help survivors of childhood 
        sexual abuse heal;
            (5) supports justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse; 
        and
            (6) recognizes the need for additional investments and 
        Federal legislation for prevention, healing, and justice 
        efforts related to childhood abuse and sexual abuse.
                                 <all>
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