[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 107 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 107
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 13 (legislative day, July 12), 1999
Received and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress rejecting the conclusions of a recent
article published in the Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the
American Psychological Association, that suggests that sexual
relationships between adults and children might be positive for
children.
Whereas no segment of our society is more critical to the future of human
survival than our children;
Whereas children are a precious gift and responsibility given to parents by God;
Whereas the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of children are parents'
sacred duty;
Whereas parents have the right to expect government to refrain from interfering
with them in fulfilling their sacred duty and to render necessary
assistance;
Whereas the Supreme Court has held that parents ``who have this primary
responsibility for children's well-being are entitled to the support of
laws designed to aid discharge of that responsibility'' (Ginsberg v. New
York, 390 U.S. 629, 639 (1968));
Whereas it is the obligation of all public policymakers not only to support, but
also to defend, the health and rights of parents, families, and
children;
Whereas information endangering children is being made public and, in some
instances, may be given unwarranted or unintended credibility through
release under professional titles or through professional organizations;
Whereas elected officials have a duty to inform and counter actions they
consider damaging to children, parents, families, and society;
Whereas Congress has made sexual molestation and exploitation of children a
felony;
Whereas all credible studies in this area, including those published by the
American Psychological Association, condemn child sexual abuse as
criminal and harmful to children;
Whereas, once published and allowed to stand, scientific literature may become a
source for additional research;
Whereas the Psychological Bulletin has recently published a severely flawed
study, entitled ``A Meta-Analytic Examination of Assumed Properties of
Child Sexual Abuse Using College Samples'', which suggests that sexual
relationships between adults and children are less harmful than believed
and might be positive for ``willing'' children (Psychological Bulletin,
vol. 124, No. 1, July 1998);
Whereas, in order to clarify any inconsistencies between the two conclusions the
authors of the study suggest and the position of the American
Psychological Association that sexual relations between children and
adults are abusive, exploitive, and reprehensible, and should never be
considered or labeled as harmless or acceptable, the American
Psychological Association has issued a public ``Resolution Opposing
Child Sexual Abuse'';
Whereas the American Psychological Association should be congratulated for
publicly clarifying its opposition to any adult-child sexual relations,
which will help to deny pedophiles from citing ``A Meta-Analytic
Examination of Assumed Properties of Child Sexual Abuse Using College
Samples'' in a legal defense, and for resolving to evaluate the
scientific articles it publishes in light of their potential social,
legal, and political implications;
Whereas the Supreme Court has recognized that ``sexually exploited children are
unable to develop healthy affectionate relationships in later life, have
sexual dysfunctions, and have a tendency to become sexual abusers as
adults'' (New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S. 747, 758, n.9 (1982));
Whereas Paidika--The Journal of Pedophilia, a publication advocating the
legalization of sex with ``willing'' children, has published an article
by one of the authors of the study, Robert Bauserman, Ph.D. (see ``Man-
Boy Sexual Relationships in a Cross-Cultural Perspective,'' vol. 2, No.
1, Summer 1989); and
Whereas pedophiles and organizations, such as the North American Man-Boy Love
Association, that advocate laws to permit sex between adults and
children are exploiting the study to promote and justify child sexual
abuse: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That Congress--
(1) condemns and denounces all suggestions in the article
``A Meta-Analytic Examination of Assumed Properties of Child
Sexual Abuse Using College Samples'' that indicate that sexual
relationships between adults and ``willing'' children are less
harmful than believed and might be positive for ``willing''
children (Psychological Bulletin, vol. 124, No. 1, July 1998);
(2) vigorously opposes any public policy or legislative
attempts to normalize adult-child sex or to lower the age of
consent;
(3) urges the President likewise to reject and condemn, in
the strongest possible terms, any suggestion that sexual
relations between children and adults--regardless of the
child's frame of mind--are anything but abusive, destructive,
exploitive, reprehensible, and punishable by law; and
(4) encourages competent investigations to continue to
research the effects of child sexual abuse using the best
methodology, so that the public, and public policymakers, may
act upon accurate information.
Passed the House of Representatives July 12, 1999.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.