Amended in Assembly April 9, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 24

Introduced by Assembly Member Chu

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, Olsen, Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood)

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February 13, 2015

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 24—Relative to Child Abuse Prevention Month.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 24, as amended, Chu. Child Abuse Prevention Month.

This measure would acknowledge the month of April 2015 as Child Abuse Prevention Month, and encourage the people of the State of California to work together to support youth-serving child abuse prevention activities in their communities and schools.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Child abuse and neglect continue to pose serious
threats to our nation’s children; and

WHEREAS, In 2013, according to the University of California
at Berkeley, Center for Social Services Research, approximately
84,000 children in California were found to be victims of abuse
or neglect; and

WHEREAS, In 2012, according to the State Department of
Public Health, 85 children in California died as a result of child
abuse and neglect; and

WHEREAS, Children who have been abused or neglected have
a higher risk of developing various health problems as adults,
including alcoholism, depression, drug abuse, eating disorders,
obesity, suicide, and certain chronic diseases; and

WHEREAS, California’s children deserve to grow up in a safe
and nurturing environment free from fear, abuse, and neglect; and

WHEREAS, Statewide, child abuse and neglect cases
disproportionately involve children of color; and

WHEREAS, Prevention of child abuse and neglect depends on
the involvement of people throughout the community; and

WHEREAS, Child abuse and neglect have long-term economic
and societal costs; and

WHEREAS, Providing community-based prevention services
to families whose children may be at risk of child abuse or neglect
is less costly than addressing the emotional and physical damage
that can result from child abuse and neglect; and

WHEREAS, Providing community-based prevention services
to those families can help avoid the costs of protective services,
law enforcement, the judicial system, foster care, and the treatment
of adults recovering from abuse as children; and

WHEREAS, Victims of child abuse, whether the abuse is
physical, sexual, or emotional, or any combination of these, should
have access to a safe place to live, appropriate medical care, and
counseling or mental health services; and

WHEREAS, In recent years, Prevent Child Abuse America, the
Child Abuse Prevention Center, and other groups have organized
Blue Ribbon Campaigns to increase public awareness of child
abuse and to promote ways to prevent child abuse; and

WHEREAS, Each year, the President of the United States issues
a proclamation announcing April as National Child Abuse
Prevention Month; and

WHEREAS, Pinwheels are displayed to increase the awareness
of child abuse and to focus on the positive message of preventing
child abuse and neglect by supporting families and strengthening
communities during Child Abuse Prevention Month; now,
therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature does hereby acknowledge
the month of April 2015 as Child Abuse Prevention Month and
encourages the people of the State of California to work together
to support youth-serving child abuse prevention activities in their
communities and schools during that month and throughout the
year; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.