A nonbinding resolution (H. Con. Res. 309) urging schools to implement effective safety education for students was approved, 383-0, by the House on May 15.
According to the resolution, sponsored by Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE), the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has found that many schools’ safety programs for children are “inadequate to promote personal safety for children.” The resolution calls on schools and educators to implement safety programs based on guidelines prepared by the National Center “so that every child receives instruction that is positive, comprehensive, and effective.”
The resolution states that more than 84,000 confirmed cases of sexual abuse in 1997 involved victims under age 12 who knew the offender. In addition, 85 to 90 percent of the 867,129 individuals reported missing in 1999 were children. According to the Department of Justice, there are approximately 114,000 non-family abductions each year.
