[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 910 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 910

  Condemning violence against children globally, and encouraging the 
   development of a strategy for preventing, addressing, and ending 
             violence against children and youth globally.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2018

Mr. McGovern (for himself and Mr. Poe of Texas) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
 Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning violence against children globally, and encouraging the 
   development of a strategy for preventing, addressing, and ending 
             violence against children and youth globally.

Whereas violence against children can take many forms, including sexual 
        violence, physical violence, emotional violence, abuse, neglect, and 
        exploitation;
Whereas more than one billion children worldwide are exposed to violence;
Whereas the global economic impact of physical, psychological, and sexual 
        violence against children may be as high as $7 trillion, or 8 percent of 
        the world's GDP;
Whereas the economic costs of child labor amount to between 2.4 and 6.6 percent 
        of the world's gross national income annually;
Whereas child abuse is estimated to cost 4.41 percent of the world's GDP 
        annually;
Whereas around the world, nearly one in three adolescent girls aged 15 to 19, or 
        84 million girls, has been a victim of emotional, physical, or sexual 
        violence, often perpetrated by someone they know;
Whereas 1 in 3 girls in the developing world is said to be married before her 
        18th birthday, and of those, an estimated 1 in 9 is said to be married 
        under age 15;
Whereas if there is no reduction in child marriage, the global number of women 
        married as children is projected to reach 1.2 billion by 2050, with 
        devastating global consequences;
Whereas 246 million boys and girls experience gender-based violence in schools 
        each year;
Whereas children with disabilities are three to four times more likely to 
        experience physical or sexual violence;
Whereas 168 million children are subject to child labor and 5.5 million children 
        are subject to forced labor, including situations of trafficking;
Whereas nearly half of the 65 million people who are currently displaced by 
        conflict and war around the world, or over 30 million, are children, 
        exposing them to increased risk of exploitation, violence, and abuse;
Whereas unaddressed exposure to violence disrupts the development of critical 
        brain architecture and other organ structures, leaving children at 
        lifelong risk of disease and reduced potential;
Whereas toxic stress relating to exposure to violent or dangerous environments 
        becomes damaging to learning, behavior, and health across a lifespan;
Whereas violence can lead to negative health consequences including injury, 
        noncommunicable and communicable diseases, and poor maternal and child 
        health outcomes;
Whereas the United States Government invests 0.5 percent of its official 
        development assistance in programs to prevent and address violence 
        against children and youth;
Whereas the United States Government, through public-private partnerships and in 
        coordination with other organizations, has endorsed INSPIRE: seven 
        strategies for ending violence against children;
Whereas the seven evidence-based strategies to end violence against children 
        include implementation and enforcement of relevant laws; addressing 
        harmful gender and other social norms; creating and sustaining safe 
        communities; supporting parents and caregivers; strengthening economic 
        programs related to reducing violence against children; improving access 
        to health services, social welfare, and criminal justice support; and 
        ensuring safe school environments that provide gender-equitable 
        education and social-emotional learning and life skills training; and
Whereas the United States Agency for International Development, Department of 
        State, Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security, and 
        Department of Health and Human Services play a critical role in 
        preventing and responding to violence against children and youth: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns all forms of violence against children and 
        youth globally, including physical, mental, and sexual 
        violence, neglect, abuse, maltreatment, and exploitation;
            (2) recognizes the harmful impact violence against children 
        and youth has on the healthy development of children;
            (3) recognizes the harmful economic impact of violence 
        against children and youth;
            (4) recognizes that all children should be protected from 
        all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, 
        neglect or negligent treatment, and maltreatment or 
        exploitation, including sexual abuse;
            (5) commends the End Violence Against Children Solution 
        Summit 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden, for its leadership; and
            (6) should develop and implement a comprehensive and 
        coordinated strategy built upon evidence-based practices, 
        including the INSPIRE package of interventions, and adopt 
        common metrics and indicators to monitor progress across United 
        States Government agencies to prevent, address, and end 
        violence against children and youth globally.
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