House Passes Courtney Resolution Declaring April 2008: National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Awareness Month
House Passes Courtney Resolution Declaring April 2008:
National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Awareness Month
Congressman Hopes to Raise Level of Awareness, Resources for Child Victims of Abuse
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House of Representatives by a vote of 410 – 0 passed U.S. Representative Joe Courtney’s House Resolution 1097, expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2008, as National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Awareness Month.
“The abuse of the most defenseless among us is a scourge on our society and on those around the world that turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the crisis,” stated Courtney. “This is a small opportunity to raise awareness to just how many children are affected each year by abuse. While some physical bruises can heal, the psychological pain of abuse may be a carried for a lifetime.”
Click here to see Rep. Courtney speak on his resolution on the House floor:
http://www.courtney.house.gov
Child abuse affects the safety, development, and physical and psychological well-being of our children. In addition to the lasting scars it leaves on children, it is also poses a serious public health problem with long-term economic and societal costs.
“My wife Audrey has served as a nurse practitioner for 18 years and has seen and treated the victims of child abuse throughout the course of her professional career,” added Courtney. “This is an issue that is to close to our hearts.” At both Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center and Windham Hospital, Mrs. Courtney has been part of an effort to develop multidisciplinary teams with police and prosecutors to more effectively prosecute cases and improve care and treatment of victims.
Children who are abused or neglected are more likely to abuse their children and to exhibit a higher risk of health problems as adults. The Department of Health and Human Services recently reported that approximately 6.1 million cases of child abuse or neglect were reported in the United States in 2006, of which 905,000 were substantiated. Every ten seconds a report of child abuse or neglect is made.
Even more disheartening is the fact that our most vulnerable children are the most likely to be maltreated, with the youngest suffering the highest rate of victimization. Approximately, 91,278 of the victims reported for abuse in 2006 had not yet reached their first birthday, with more than 84 percent less than a month old.
House Education and Labor Chairman George Miller (D-CA) is an original cosponsor of the legislation.
“I am grateful to my colleagues in the House for standing with me to shed a brighter light on this critical challenge for our society,” said Courtney. “We stand together in solidarity in calling for assistance for those who need our help the most.”
