[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 107 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 107


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                July 13 (legislative day, July 12), 1999

Received and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                                Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress rejecting the conclusions of a recent 
   article published in the Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the 
     American Psychological Association, that suggests that sexual 
    relationships between adults and children might be positive for 
                               children.

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 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 adult-child 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 Cross-Cultural 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
            (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.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 12, 1999.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.