I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2673
To provide training to professionals who work with children affected by
violence, to provide for violence prevention, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 2, 1999
Mr. GEJDENSON (for himself, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. HILLIARD, Ms. LEE, Mrs.
CHRISTENSEN, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Mr. WU, Mr. ETHERIDGE,
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. SCOTT,
and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To provide training to professionals who work with children
affected by violence, to provide for violence prevention,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Violence Prevention
Training for Early Childhood Educators Act’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to provide grants to insti-
tutions of higher education and qualified entities that
carry out early childhood education training programs to
enable the institutions of higher education and qualified
entities to include violence prevention training as part of
the preparation of individuals pursuing careers in early
childhood development and education.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Aggressive behavior in early childhood is the
single best predictor of aggression in later life.
(2) Aggressive and defiant behavior predictive
of later delinquency is increasing among our Na-
tion’s youngest children. Without prevention efforts,
higher percentages of children are likely to become
violent juvenile offenders.
(3) Research has demonstrated that aggression
is primarily a learned behavior that develops through
observation, imitation, and direct experience. There-
fore, children who experience violence as victims or
as witnesses are at increased risk of becoming vio-
lent themselves.
(4) In a study at a Boston city hospital, 1 out
of every 10 children seen in the primary care clinic
had witnessed a shooting or a stabbing before the
age of 6, with 50 percent of the children witnessing
in the home and 50 percent of the children wit-
nessing in the streets.
(5) A study in New York found that children
who had been victims of violence within their fami-
lies were 24 percent more likely to report violent be-
havior as adolescents, and adolescents who had
grown up in families where partner violence occurred
were 21 percent more likely to experience violent de-
linquency than individuals not exposed to violence.
(6) Aggression can become well-learned and dif-
ficult to change by the time a child reaches adoles-
cence. Early childhood offers a critical period for
overcoming risk for violent behavior and providing
support for prosocial behavior.
(7) Violence prevention programs for very
young children yield economic benefits. By providing
health and stability to the individual child and the
child’s family, the programs may reduce expendi-
tures for medical care, special education, and in-
volvement with the judicial system.
(8) Primary prevention can be effective. When
preschool teachers teach young children inter-
personal problem-solving skills and other forms of
conflict resolution, children are less likely to dem-
onstrate problem behaviors.
(9) There is evidence that family support pro-
grams in families with children from birth through
5 years of age are effective in preventing delin-
quency.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) AT-RISK CHILD.—The term ‘‘at-risk child’’
means a child who has been affected by violence
through direct exposure to child abuse, other domes-
tic violence, or violence in the community.
(2) EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TRAINING
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘early childhood education
training program’’ means a program that—
(A)(i) trains individuals to work with
young children in early child development pro-
grams or elementary schools; or
(ii) provides professional development to
individuals working in early child development
programs or elementary schools;
(B) provides training to become an early
childhood education teacher, an elementary
school teacher, a school counselor, or a child
care provider; and
(C) leads to a bachelor’s degree or an asso-
ciate’s degree, a certificate for working with
young children (such as a Child Development
Associate’s degree or an equivalent credential),
or, in the case of an individual with such a de-
gree, certificate, or credential, provides profes-
sional development.
(3) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘elemen-
tary school’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 14101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801).
(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
(5) QUALIFIED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘qualified
entity’’ means a public or nonprofit private organiza-
tion which has—
(A) experience in administering a program
consistent with the requirements of this Act;
and
(B) demonstrated the ability to coordinate,
manage, and provide technical assistance to
programs that receive grants under this Act.
(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Education.