[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 97 (Wednesday, July 17, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H4770]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRESS AND COMMUNITIES CAN JOIN TOGETHER TO EMPOWER CHILDREN AND 
                 FAMILIES TO REDUCE CHILD VICTIMIZATION

  (Mr. LAMPSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in light of the reported 
abduction and murder of young Dannarriah Finley of southeast Texas, 
coming on the heels of the nationally publicized abductions of Danielle 
Van Damme and Elizabeth Smart.
  It is time for our communities to come together to educate our 
children and save other families from the heartbreaking tragedy of 
child abduction, exploitation and murder.
  There are ways that we can work together to make sure that children 
are safe in our communities.
  First, I encourage my colleagues to go to schools in their districts 
to do a ``know the rules'' workshop with students and parents. 
Education is the key to giving children the tools and power to stay 
safe.
  Second, I encourage Members to start a student Safety Ambassadors 
program. The program seeks to empower children through safety, and has 
students leading and teaching their peers on the issue.
  Third, Members should work with our schools to make sure they know 
about the ``Guidelines for Programs to Reduce Child Victimization: A 
Resource for Communities When Choosing a Program to Teach Personal 
Safety to Children.'' These research-based guidelines were developed by 
the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Education 
Standards Task Force to assist schools as they select curricula aimed 
at reducing crimes against children.
  It takes each one of us, including schools, to keep our kids safe, 
happy, and healthy.

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