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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1637 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 1637

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                    September 28, 2010.
Whereas domestic violence affects people of all ages as well as racial, ethnic, 
        gender, economic, and religious backgrounds;
Whereas females are disproportionately victims of domestic violence;
Whereas 6 in 10 Native American women will be physically assaulted in their 
        lifetimes;
Whereas on average, more than 3 women are murdered by their husbands or 
        boyfriends in the United States every day;
Whereas approximately 40 to 60 percent of men who abuse women also abuse 
        children;
Whereas approximately 15,500,000 children are exposed to domestic violence every 
        year;
Whereas children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to attempt 
        suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, and engage in 
        teenage prostitution;
Whereas a large study found that men exposed to physical abuse, sexual abuse, 
        and adult domestic violence as children were almost 4 times more likely 
        than other men to have perpetrated domestic violence as adults;
Whereas women ages 16 to 24 experience the highest rates, per capita, of 
        intimate partner violence;
Whereas approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls in the United States is a victim 
        of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure 
        that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence 
        affecting youth;
Whereas teen girls who are physically and sexually abused are up to 6 times more 
        likely to become pregnant, and more than 2 times as likely to report a 
        sexually transmitted disease, than teen girls who are not abused;
Whereas 1,500,000 high school students nationwide experienced physical abuse 
        from a dating partner in a single year;
Whereas young people who are physically abused perform worse in school;
Whereas adolescent girls who reported dating violence were 60 percent more 
        likely to report one or more suicide attempts in the past year;
Whereas primary prevention programs are a key part of addressing teen dating 
        violence, and many successful community examples include education, 
        community outreach, and social marketing campaigns that account for the 
        cultural appropriateness of programs;
Whereas one-quarter to one-half of domestic violence victims report that they 
        have lost a job due, at least in part, to domestic violence;
Whereas the annual cost of lost productivity due to domestic violence is 
        estimated at $727,800,000 with over 7,900,000 paid workdays lost per 
        year;
Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2003, 
        the costs of intimate partner violence exceed $8,300,000,000 and 
        $1,200,000,000 in the value of lost lives;
Whereas even 5 years after the abuse has ended, health care costs of women with 
        a history of intimate partner violence remain 20 percent higher than 
        those for women with no history of violence;
Whereas in addition to the immediate trauma caused by abuse, domestic violence 
        contributes to a number of chronic health problems, including 
        depression, alcohol, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases 
        such as HIV/AIDS, and often limits the ability of women to manage other 
        chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension;
Whereas men are the perpetrators in at least 85 percent of domestic violence 
        cases and prevention programs should address their needs;
Whereas research demonstrates that men are willing to help prevent violence 
        against women, particularly through shaping the attitudes of younger men 
        and boys;
Whereas a multi-State study shows that domestic violence shelters are addressing 
        victims' urgent and long-term needs and are helping victims protect 
        themselves and their children;
Whereas there is a need to increase funding for programs aimed at intervening 
        and preventing domestic violence in the United States; and
Whereas individuals and organizations that are dedicated to preventing and 
        ending domestic violence should be recognized: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives--
                    (A) supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic 
                Violence Awareness Month; and
                    (B) recognizes the National Safe Child Initiative as an 
                awareness-raising campaign to educate the public about the 
                prevalence and problem of child abuse, and commends the National 
                Safe Child Coalition for bringing awareness to and working to 
                protect children from batterers; and
            (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress 
        should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United 
        States and its devastating effects on families and communities, and 
        support programs designed to end domestic violence.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.
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