Bill Overview
Title: Respect for Child Survivors Act
Description: This act requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to use a multidisciplinary team with investigations of child abuse and related crimes. The act also reauthorizes grants for children's advocacy centers (CACs). CACs use a multidisciplinary response to coordinate the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases. (Sec. 2) This section requires the FBI to use a multidisciplinary team with any investigation of child sexual exploitation or abuse, the production of child sexual abuse material, or child trafficking. The FBI must also use a trained child adolescent forensic interviewer in these investigations. These requirements do not apply if a multidisciplinary team or an interviewer is unavailable or is otherwise inconsistent with applicable federal law. In implementing these requirements, the FBI must use and coordinate with multidisciplinary teams based at CACs. (Sec. 3) This section modifies and reauthorizes through FY2028 grants for regional and local CACs, as well as for technical assistance and training. Grants for CACs are administered by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) within the Department of Justice. It adds a finding stating that a key to a child victim healing from abuse is access to supportive and healthy families and communities. The section modifies grant provisions for regional CACs, including by directing the OJJDP to maintain (in addition to establish) regional CACs; adding, as a new program objective, the provision of technical assistance, training, coordination, and organizational capacity support for state chapters; and requiring the OJJDP to consider, as an additional selection criteria, proposals for regional CACs that best result in supporting state chapters. The section also modifies grant provisions for local CACs, including by adding as new grant purposes (1) the establishment and maintenance of a network of care for child abuse victims, and (2) the development and dissemination of practice standards for care and best practices in program evaluation. Finally, the section modifies the criteria that the OJJDP may use to evaluate local CAC programs.
Sponsors: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Target Audience
Population: Children who are survivors of abuse and benefit from CAC services
Estimated Size: 650000
- The bill concerns investigations related to child abuse.
- It implicates children who have been victims of abuse.
- Child advocacy centers are involved, which provide services to many such children.
- FBI involvement indicates it's targeting federal or significant cases, potentially across different states.
Reasoning
- The policy aims to enhance investigations and support systems for child abuse survivors, implying direct impacts mainly on abused children and their families, possibly improving their wellbeing.
- The budget constraints and the estimate of 650,000 direct beneficiaries suggest that a significant proportion of child survivors will receive improved services from CACs under the policy.
- People who are not directly involved with CAC services or do not deal with federal or severe abuse cases would not experience a high impact from this policy.
- The variety in the impact of the policy depends on the severity of the abuse cases, state involvement, and local availability of CAC resources.
Simulated Interviews
Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 9 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I like the people at the CAC. They make me feel safe.
- Sometimes I have to talk to too many different people about what happened. It's hard.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Student (Chicago, IL)
Age: 15 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 3
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's confusing when different agencies are not talking to each other.
- I want this to end quickly so I can focus on school.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Social Worker (New York, NY)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy should help us reduce investigation time and improve coordination.
- With more resources, we can ensure thorough and compassionate care for each child.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Police Officer (Houston, TX)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The multidisciplinary approach could lead to faster case resolutions.
- Cooperation has been difficult in some cases due to bureaucratic delays.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Child Psychologist (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy provides a much-needed structure for handling complex cases.
- Improved guidelines could significantly aid in psychological support post-investigation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Student (Denver, CO)
Age: 12 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The CAC helps me understand my feelings.
- I'm happy they know how to talk to me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Public Defender (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The better coordinated approach may protect my clients from undue processes.
- Ensures children's trauma is managed effectively in legal settings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see the immediate benefits of improved CAC support for our students.
- Professional development here has been vital for addressing abuse-induced challenges.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
FBI Agent (Seattle, WA)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Multidisciplinary teams could ensure more efficient and effective investigations.
- We often face challenges in gathering comprehensive evidence.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Student (New Orleans, LA)
Age: 8 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't like talking many times about what happened, but I feel okay here.
- They help me not be scared.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $40000000)
Year 2: $31000000 (Low: $26000000, High: $41000000)
Year 3: $32000000 (Low: $27000000, High: $42000000)
Year 5: $34000000 (Low: $29000000, High: $44000000)
Year 10: $36000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $46000000)
Year 100: $42000000 (Low: $37000000, High: $52000000)
Key Considerations
- The bill aims to reinforce and standardize multidisciplinary approaches to child abuse cases.
- Federal involvement suggests a substantial commitment to improving child abuse case outcomes.
- Long-term benefits could include improved wellbeing and outcomes for child survivors, possibly reducing future societal costs.
- Understanding the effectiveness of FBI and CAC coordination will be crucial in assessing the bill's success.