PRINTER'S NO. 3465
No. 472 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY WOJNAROSKI, WALKO, KAISER, RUBLEY, MANDERINO,
MAITLAND, LEDERER, M. BAKER, DONATUCCI, GEIST, HARHAI,
HERMAN, D. EVANS, STABACK, SATHER, PICKETT, ARMSTRONG, MANN,
DERMODY, MELIO, WATSON, CAPPELLI, CRUZ, SOLOBAY, GRUCELA,
BELFANTI, HUTCHINSON, MAJOR, R. MILLER, READSHAW, STERN,
THOMAS, PIPPY, CALTAGIRONE, LESCOVITZ, WILT, BELARDI, ZUG,
SCHULER, McILHATTAN, SCHRODER, GABIG, BUNT, BASTIAN, COSTA,
COY, DeWEESE, LAUGHLIN, FREEMAN, MUNDY, BISHOP, McNAUGHTON,
B. SMITH, BEBKO-JONES, TIGUE, HENNESSEY, CLYMER, DeLUCA,
DiGIROLAMO, HESS AND E. Z. TAYLOR, MARCH 25, 2002
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 25, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the month of April 2002 as "Child Abuse Prevention
2 Month" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Children bring happiness into our lives and hope to
4 our future; and
5 WHEREAS, Children are our greatest joy and our most important
6 responsibility; and
7 WHEREAS, It is our responsibility as parents, friends,
8 neighbors, citizens and lawmakers to nurture and protect
9 children, providing an atmosphere of love and respect in which
10 they are able to grow into healthy, well-adjusted and productive
11 adults; and
12 WHEREAS, We, as a legislative body, have an ongoing
13 commitment to protect the rights and needs of children; and
1 WHEREAS, In December 1999 the Senate directed the Joint State
2 Government Commission to study child abuse within this
3 Commonwealth and make recommendations to the General Assembly;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, The General Assembly has defined child abuse as any
6 "recent act or failure to act by a perpetrator which causes
7 nonaccidental serious physical injury to a child under 18 years
8 of age" or an "act or failure to act by a perpetrator which
9 causes nonaccidental serious mental injury to or sexual abuse or
10 sexual exploitation of a child under 18 years of age" and has
11 made it illegal to engage in such activity; and
12 WHEREAS, Child abuse crosses all racial, economic and
13 geographic boundaries and has reached epidemic proportions
14 across this nation and throughout this Commonwealth; and
15 WHEREAS, There were 22,397 cases of possible child abuse or
16 maltreatment referred for investigation in this Commonwealth in
17 1999; and
18 WHEREAS, There were 5,076 substantiated cases of child abuse
19 and neglect in this Commonwealth in 1999; and
20 WHEREAS, Thousands of Pennsylvanians in schools, social
21 service agencies, churches and neighborhood groups throughout
22 this Commonwealth are working hard to nurture and support the
23 victims of child abuse and prevent future abuse; and
24 WHEREAS, In spite of the dedication and sacrifice of these
25 individuals, much more still needs to be done to guarantee a
26 childhood free of abuse and victimization to every child in this
27 Commonwealth; and
28 WHEREAS, As our knowledge about the prevention and treatment
29 of child abuse grows, we must provide support, information and
30 guidance to families in which child abuse may happen; therefore
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1 be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
3 month of April 2002 as "Child Abuse Prevention Month" in
4 Pennsylvania; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives continue to do
6 its part in creating a nurturing and supportive environment for
7 all children in this Commonwealth so that they might grow up to
8 be healthy and productive citizens; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend the many
10 individuals and community groups and organizations who work
11 daily to treat and prevent child abuse in this Commonwealth and
12 urge all Pennsylvanians to do their part in preventing the
13 tragedy of child abuse.
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