[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 299 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 299

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress 
should increase public awareness of child abuse and neglect and should 
continue to work with the States to reduce the incidence of child abuse 
  and neglect through such programs as the Child Welfare Services and 
              Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 2007

 Mr. McDermott (for himself and Mr. Weller of Illinois) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
                                 Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress 
should increase public awareness of child abuse and neglect and should 
continue to work with the States to reduce the incidence of child abuse 
  and neglect through such programs as the Child Welfare Services and 
              Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs.

Whereas child abuse and neglect continue to pose a serious threat to our 
        Nation's children;
Whereas according to the most recent annual estimates, 3,600,000 children were 
        the subject of child abuse and neglect investigations in 2005, an 
        increase of 462,000 children from 2001;
Whereas more than 899,000 children were found to be the victims of abuse and 
        neglect in 2005;
Whereas as of the end of 2005, approximately 513,000 children were unable to 
        live safely with their families and instead were living in foster homes 
        and institutions;
Whereas an estimated 1,460 children died because of abuse and neglect in 2005;
Whereas more than 75 percent of the children who died because of abuse and 
        neglect in 2005 were under the age of 4;
Whereas studies have found that abused and neglected children tend to be at 
        least 25 percent more likely than the general population of children to 
        experience problems such as delinquency, teen pregnancy, low academic 
        achievement, drug use, and mental illness;
Whereas a National Institute of Justice study indicated abuse or neglect during 
        childhood increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59 percent 
        and adult criminal behavior by 28 percent;
Whereas studies have found that abusive parents often were themselves the 
        victims of child abuse;
Whereas it is estimated that approximately \1/3\ of abused and neglected 
        children will eventually victimize their own children;
Whereas child abuse and neglect can have long-term economic and societal costs 
        through the increased use of the juvenile and adult criminal justice 
        systems, the increased health care costs resulting from mental illness, 
        substance abuse, and domestic violence, and the loss of economic 
        productivity due to unemployment and underemployment; and
Whereas it is appropriate to designate the month of April, 2007 as National 
        Child Abuse Prevention Month: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that Congress should increase public awareness of child abuse and 
neglect and should continue to work with the States to reduce the 
incidence of child abuse and neglect through such programs as the Child 
Welfare Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs.
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