School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1097, ``Expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2008, as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, to provide attention to the tragic circumstances that face some of our Nation's children on a daily basis and to underscore our commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect so that all children can live in safety and security.'' I would like to thank my distinguished colleague, Joe Courtney of Connecticut, for introducing this important piece of legislation.

There is no greater crime that an individual can commit to a child than the crime of child molestation and child abuse. The perpetrators of this crime rob children of their innocence. Moreover, victims of child molestation are profoundly affected for the rest of their lives. As parents, elected officials and concerned citizens, we have an obligation to condemn this violence, work for stronger enforcement of the law and provide adequate funding for programs to assist children who may have experienced such abuse.

The problem of violence against children and sexual exploitation of children has been highlighted by recent events involving brutal acts of violence against children. Some recent incidents you may remember include: (1) the abduction, rape and killing of 9 year old Jessica Lunford (who was buried alive); (2) the slaying of 13 year old Sarah Lunde, both of whom were killed in Florida by career criminals and sex offenders. In Philadelphia, four defendants were charged with the stabbing and killing of a 15 year old girl, who they then threw into the Schuykill River. All of these tragic events have underscored the continuing epidemic of violence against children. Children who are abused or neglected are at higher risk in adulthood for health problems such as alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, eating disorders, obesity, suicide, and certain chronic diseases

Sadly, sexual abuse is often committed by a family member. Approximately 91,000 of the victims of abuse and neglect had not yet reached their first birthday, with more than 84 percent being less than a month old. Incest is the most common form of child sexual abuse. It is often perpetrated by adults that have been entrusted with caring for a child--a family friend, babysitter, a teacher, day care worker, or even religious leaders. At least one out of five adult women and one out of ten adult men report having been sexually abused as children. In Texas, there were more than 111,000 investigations of child abuse and neglect by the Child Protective Services in Texas. Of those cases, 7,650 were sexual abuse.

In addition, the sexual victimization of children is overwhelming in magnitude and largely unrecognized and underreported. Statistics show that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood, yet less than 35 percent of the incidents are reported to authorities. This problem is exacerbated by the number of children who are solicited online--according to the Department of Justice I in 5 children (10 to 17 years old) receive unwanted sexual solicitations online.

It is estimated that approximately one-third of abused and neglected children grow up to victimize their own children. Child abuse and neglect can have long-term economic and societal costs. Community-based services to overburdened families are far less costly than the emotional and physical damage inflicted on children or the costs of child protective services, law enforcement, courts, foster care, health care, and the treatment of adults recovering from child abuse. The annual estimated cost to the United States for not preventing child abuse and neglect is approximately $104 billion according to a 2008 report by Prevent Child Abuse America.

It will take more than just stronger enforcement of the law to prevent child molestation and other forms of abuse against children. To end this serious abuse of children, all segments of the community such as parents, educators, religious leaders, and community leaders must create a nurturing environment for children where they know that they are loved and deserve to be protected from violence and sexual abuse and feel comfortable in reporting.

Local law enforcement receives increased flexibility in how it invests grants for child abuse victims, specifically by providing access to criminal conviction records by child protective and child welfare workers. This would enable workers to determine if troubled children are victims of abuse. State law enforcement would also have access to court child custody, visitation, protection, guardianships and stay away orders. Police could use this information to establish the validity of urgent complaints concerning children who may have been kidnapped by an abusive ex-spouse.

I express my support for the designation of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. I believe we should increase public awareness of child abuse and neglect prevention and should continue to work to reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect. We should recognize that child abuse and neglect prevention programs reduce child maltreatment, strengthen families, reduce mental illness, deter criminal behavior, and contribute to children's positive emotional, academic, social, and cognitive development.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Woolsey for her leadership by managing this resolution this afternoon and for Congresswoman Foxx's strong support that she just articulated very powerfully.

As Congresswomen Woolsey and Foxx stated, the statistics that the resolution lays forth clearly show the grave seriousness of this problem of child abuse all across America. In addition, though, just to the horrible trauma to the victims of child abuse, which by itself would be reason to fight this problem, society pays a huge price due to the high incidence of alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, eating disorders, and criminal behavior that has been clearly shown to occur in the later lives of too many children who were abused and neglected.

Recent statistics, for example, show that 14 percent of all men in prison in the United States were abused as children and 36 percent of women in prison were abused as children. And it is easy sometimes to get very discouraged about the numbers that just seem to suggest a problem that is growing almost out of control. In Connecticut, the State where I come from, for example, in between 1990 and 2003, the incidence of reported child abuse actually doubled. But I would suggest that perhaps we should look at those numbers in a different fashion, because what is also happening out there is that as a country, we are prepared, as never before in the past, to confront this issue. Mandated reporting laws now require that doctors, mental health providers and professionals in all arrays of professions that deal with families and children are now required by law to report incidents of abuse which in the past would have been swept under the rug. And that is one of the reasons why the number of cases are going up.

In addition, I think we should also be encouraged by a smarter and more effective approach that is being developed to fight child abuse, the multidisciplinary teams that are pulling together police, social workers, prosecutors, health care providers, nurse practitioners and doctors who are now systematically working together to make sure, number one, that complaints are dealt with accurately, but also that victims are diagnosed, treated and interviewed in an organized fashion so that there is more effective prosecution of cases.

If it seems as though I may be a little bit passionate about this issue, it is because my wife, Audrey, has been a pediatric nurse practitioner for 18 years in Connecticut, has worked at Saint Francis Hospital at Hartford and Windham Hospital as part of the multidisciplinary team, again, that is employing the best techniques possible to make sure that complaints are handled intelligently, swiftly and also in a comprehensive fashion so that prosecutions are not lost or neglected due to the fact that we don't have systems in place to make sure that the cases are handled in an effective manner.

This resolution, I think, adds to both of those positive trends by putting the spotlight on this issue to make sure that we, as a country, are prepared to confront the issue, to talk about it openly, to talk about the numbers that are out there and the terrible consequences that we face as a society when we don't deal with the issue.

So hopefully this year, like prior years, as Congresswoman Foxx indicated, April will act as a month where awareness will continue to grow, that we are going to continue to, as a society, deal with this issue honestly and frankly so that, A, we will protect our children who are our most valuable national treasure, and, B, that we will have systems that are prepared to effectively prosecute and punish perpetrators, and finally, that we are going to treat and care for people who have been abused in such a terrible fashion, because it helps not only them, but it helps American society.

So again, I applaud Congresswoman Woolsey for bringing this measure out on the floor this afternoon and I urge unanimous passage when it comes up for a vote later this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1097) expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2008, as National Child Abuse Prevention Month to provide attention to the tragic circumstances that face some of our Nation's children on a daily basis and to underscore our commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect so that all children can live in safety and security, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert materials relevant to H. Res. 1097 into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, a child's safety should never be put in jeopardy. That's why I rise in support of H. Res. 1097, authored by Congressman Courtney from Connecticut.

H. Res. 1097 is a bill to designate this month as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. We need to shine a light on the tragic circumstances, Mr. Speaker, that face some of our Nation's children on a daily basis. As people across the country recognize this month as National Child Abuse Prevention Month and promote awareness activities in order to reduce the cases of child maltreatment, this resolution moves us one step closer to securing the safety and well-being of all children.

The latest data shows us that in the year 2006, approximately 1,530 children died, died in the United States of America, due to maltreatment, and an additional 905,000 children were victims of abuse and neglect. Even more disturbing, Mr. Speaker, is that our most vulnerable children are at greatest risk. Approximately 90,000 victims of child abuse and neglect in the year 2000 were less than 1 year old. More than 84 percent of those child abuse victims were less than 1 month old.

These facts are appalling. We must work together to bring attention to this important issue and begin to

strengthen our families and our communities and to keep our children safe. We need to emphasize the need for more prevention programs because prevention works by reducing risk factors, by promoting protective factors and by fostering a commitment for social change.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Courtney for introducing this important bill. It is my hope and it is my goal that all of my colleagues will join me in supporting H. Res. 1097 so that together we can reduce child abuse and neglect by increasing public awareness.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to the author of this great resolution, Mr. Courtney from Connecticut, and a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution, and I also thank Congresswoman Foxx for her support in all of these bills that have come before us this afternoon.

It is so important that together on both sides of the aisle and that we understand the urgency of the resolution like Congressman Courtney's resolution today.

Child abuse should be something we talk about and think about every day, every minute, every second. There should never be a time when we don't worry about the little children in our country and in our world and what adults do to them.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution to make sure we bring it to the attention of those around the country, not just this month, but every month following.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1097, expressing support for the designation of the month of April, 2008, as National Child Abuse Prevention Month to bring attention to the tragic circumstances that face some of our Nation's children on a daily basis and to underscore our commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect so that all children can live in safety and security.

Child abuse comes in many forms, physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and emotional abuse. Too often, these forms of abuse are found in combination with one another. Approximately 905,000 children were found to be victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006. Nearly 80 percent of the perpetrators were parents of the victims.

Last year, it was estimated that the total annual cost of child abuse in the United States was nearly $104 billion. This represents more than $33 billion in direct costs of child maltreatment, including judicial, foster care, law enforcement and health system responses and $70 billion in indirect costs including long-term economic effects.

Each of us can make a difference in the prevention of child abuse by understanding the causes of child abuse, by learning to identify the warning signs that a child is being abused, by reporting any known or suspected case of child abuse, by being a friend to a child or a parent in need and by alerting others to the problem.

I want to thank the folks in Wilkes County who invited me to attend a vigil at Our House in Wilkes County which provides services to abused children there. Every year, the staff and volunteers of Our House hold a vigil to raise awareness of this terrible problem in our area of the country. I know that other counties in the Fifth District of North Carolina, which I represent, also have worked to raise awareness. I want to particularly commend them for doing it.

In 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act was first enacted to create a focal point in the Federal Government to identify and address issues of child abuse and neglect and to support effective methods of prevention and treatment. Through this act, States receive grants to help with their child protective service functions, improve investigation and prosecution of child maltreatment and to assist community-based family resource and support services.

Today, we recognize that child abuse and neglect are preventable through the efforts of schools, neighbors, families and the community. Child Abuse Prevention Month provides us all with an opportunity to work together to keep children safe and to provide the support that families need to stay together and raise children and youth to be happy, secure and stable adults.

In 1983, April was first proclaimed as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Since that time, every April, child abuse and neglect awareness activities are promoted across the country. That is why I stand in support of this resolution, and I ask for my colleagues' support.

I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, we have no other speakers.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.