[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 159 (Thursday, November 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2362-E2363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON YOUTH, THE READY 
                                  ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SUE W. KELLY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 10, 1999

  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce the Reducing the 
Effects of Abuse and Domestic Violence on Youth Act--also known as the 
READY Act. I am joined in introducing this legislation by 
Representatives Connie Morella, Nancy Johnson, Carolyn Maloney and Judy 
Biggert. The READY Act is a first step toward addressing the multiple 
needs of children who witness or experience domestic violence.
  In the past year, much has been done to find the cause of violence by 
our children. Tragic events like the ones at Columbine and Jonesborough 
have highlighted the violence faced by our Nation's youth. Working 
groups and commissions have been created across the Nation to study the 
cause of violence in our schools. Speaker Hastert has created a 
bipartisan working group in the House, of which I am a member, to look 
at several aspects of our society and to identify which may influence 
the violent trend we have witnessed in our youth during the last 
several years.
  However, as we know from study, one of the primary influences on 
socialization is the family. Over 3 million children witness violence 
in their own homes. It is here that my legislation focuses.
  Witnessing domestic violence has a devastating impact on children, 
placing them at high risk for anxiety, depression, and suicide. These 
children also may exhibit more aggressive, anti-social, fearful and 
inhibited behaviors. It is estimated that between 20 and 40 percent of 
chronically violent children have witnessed extreme parental conflict. 
Another study found that boys who had witnessed their father battering 
their mother had a 1,000 percent higher battering rate than boys who 
did not.
  Clearly, witnessing this type of violence in the home has a profound 
effect on children. In order to combat this trend, the READY Act gives 
grants to qualified nonprofit agencies in order to create multi-level 
interventions for child witnesses. This program would create a 
partnership between entities like the courts, schools, health care 
providers, child protective services and battered women's programs to 
provide a system of cooperation and collaboration between the 
professionals in a community in order to better support these child 
witnesses.
  Examples of intervention partnerships could include: security for the 
child and his or her family; mental health treatment; counseling and 
advocacy for the family; and outreach and training to community 
professionals. While many facets of this support system are currently 
in place, there is a gap in coordination and cooperation.
  In another step to encourage coordination between various agencies, a 
second provision in the READY Act would encourage collaborative efforts 
between nonprofit domestic violence community agencies and schools to 
create a curriculum for K-12 students, as well as provide training for 
education professionals on experiencing and witnessing domestic 
violence. Training would include teachers, administrators, counselors 
and other school personnel. I believe that this provision is especially 
important in light of the determination that one-third of all 16-19 
year old girls experience violence from an intimate partner.
  Domestic violence often escalates during separation and divorce, and 
visitation is often used as an opportunity for abuse. Under my 
legislation grants would be provided to qualified applicants on a 
competitive basis to create family visitation or visitation exchange 
centers. Use of such centers will minimize the potentially dangerous 
interactions between family members.
  On July 3, 1996, 5-year-old Brandon and 4-year-old Alex were murdered 
by their father during an unsupervised visit. Their mother Angela was 
separated from Kurt Frank, the children's father. During her marriage, 
Angela was physically and emotionally abused by Frank. Brandon was once 
hit by his father and had his lip split when he stepped in front of his 
mother during a domestic violence incident. Angela had an Order of 
Protection against Frank, but her request for her husband to receive 
only supervised visits was dismissed during custody hearings. Kurt 
Frank murdered his two sons during an unsupervised visit. While it is 
too late for Brandon and Alex, a secure visitation center will help to 
prevent other children from meeting the same fate.

[[Page E2363]]

  The READY Act also allows the use of private pensions to settle child 
abuse judgments. Private pensions are currently used for alimony or 
child support payments, however cannot be used to settle a child abuse 
judgment. This provision was originally submitted by my friend and 
colleague, Carolyn Maloney during the 105th Congress and I am happy to 
be able to include it in the READY Act. In addition, my legislation 
amends the Parental Kidnaping Prevention Act to provide a defense to 
women who flee across State lines to escape domestic violence or sexual 
assault, and ensures that a civil court can consider domestic violence 
and the parent and child's safety when determining which State should 
hear a custody dispute. This will pull the State and Federal laws 
regulating this area closer into line.
  Finally, the READY Act includes a sense of the Congress stating that 
when determining child custody, it is not in the best interest of the 
child to force joint custody in cases where there is a history of 
domestic violence. This act also states, that it is also not in the 
best interest of the child to make so called ``friendly parent'' 
provisions a factor when there is abuse against a parent or a child. It 
is important for Congress to take the lead on this important issue.
  In preparing to introduce this bill, I came upon a website that 
posted story after story from women who had been victims of domestic 
abuse. Of the dozens of stories that I read, one particular submission 
was especially poignant, by a 23-year-old woman named Lisa. Lisa had 
been married to her husband for 4 years, but altogether she has been 
with him for 6 years. He mentally and physically abused her and her 
children, just as her father had abused her and her mother. She is 
ready to leave him. She realized that her oldest child is 4 and, since 
he's a boy, she is afraid he will grow to be like her husband. Her 
youngest is 3 months, and she does not want her to end up where she is. 
Lisa ends her letter with the realization that she has to leave for the 
sake of her children. She writes of how she and her children have their 
whole lives ahead of them and it should not be a life full of fear.
  Her letter was written over a month ago. Hopefully, since that time 
she has been able to flee her husband's abuse both to save herself and 
to save her children. Her lifetime has been testimony to the cycle of 
violence. For Lisa and her kids, it is time to break that cycle. While 
the road to healing begins with the knowledge that Lisa needs to save 
herself and her kids, more help is needed to repair the damage done 
during the years of abuse. Without it, chances are the cycle will 
continue.
  As we all know, there are no easy answers or solutions to the violent 
acts of our youth. However, passage of the READY Act would be one solid 
step toward reducing the effects of abuse and domestic violence that is 
so clearly harming our youth.

                          ____________________