2017 -- H 6133

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LC002523

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING THE MONTH OF APRIL, 2017, TO BE "CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT

PREVENTION MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives Lancia, Morgan, and Shekarchi

     Date Introduced: April 25, 2017

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Children are among our most precious and vulnerable population. They

require love, affection, and nurturing from their parents or caregivers in order to develop physical

and emotional health; and

     WHEREAS, Children who have experienced child abuse or neglect can have lifelong

consequences to their health, wellbeing, and relationships with others; and

     WHEREAS, Child abuse and neglect are community-wide conditions and problems, and

finding solutions depends on the involvement of people in the community; and

     WHEREAS, According to the National Children's Alliance, in 2015, approximately

683,000 children are victims of abuse and neglect in this country each year, and an estimated

1,670 children died from this abuse and neglect; and

     WHEREAS, In Rhode Island, according to the 2015 Rhode Island KIDS COUNT

Factbook, there were 2,413 indicated investigations of child abuse and neglect involving 3,407

children and almost half were children under the age of six; and

     WHEREAS, Babies in their first year of life have the highest rate of victimization of 24.2

per 1,000 children in the national population of the same age; and

     WHEREAS, Almost 40 percent of abused children were hurt by a parent or caregiver,

and 90 percent of the alleged abusers were related in some way to the child victim; and

     WHEREAS, Effective child abuse prevention programs succeed because of partnerships

created among social service agencies, schools, religious and civic organizations, law

enforcement agencies, and the business community; and

     WHEREAS, Child protection is a community effort and citizens should become more

aware of the negative effects of child abuse, learn about the organizations and methods to aid in

the prevention of child abuse, and become involved in supporting parents efforts to raise their

children in safe, nurturing environments; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby proclaims the month of April, 2017, to be "Child Abuse and

Neglect Prevention Month" in the State of Rhode Island and calls upon all citizens, community

agencies, religious organizations, medical facilities, and businesses to increase their participation

in our efforts to prevent child abuse; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island.

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LC002523

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