Title 34NavyRelease 119-73

§12461 Findings

Title 34 › Subtitle Subtitle I— - Comprehensive Acts › Chapter CHAPTER 121— - VIOLENT CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN › Part Part K— - Strengthening America’s Families by Preventing Violence Against Women and Children › § 12461

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress says domestic violence may be the main cause of child abuse and neglect deaths and that up to 10,000,000 children see domestic violence each year. Studies link seeing violence at home to kids acting violently, to believing violence solves problems in relationships, and to a higher chance of becoming a victim of partner violence as an adult. Research also found that children whose parents did not join home-visiting programs were almost 5 times more likely to be abused in their first 2 years of life. Children exposed to abusive or erratic parenting face higher risk of juvenile crime. In a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of men who often assaulted their wives also often abused their children.

Full Legal Text

Title 34, §12461

Navy — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Congress finds that—
(1)the former United States Advisory Board on Child Abuse suggests that domestic violence may be the single major precursor to child abuse and neglect fatalities in this country;
(2)studies suggest that as many as 10,000,000 children witness domestic violence every year;
(3)studies suggest that among children and teenagers, recent exposure to violence in the home was a significant factor in predicting a child’s violent behavior;
(4)a study by the Nurse-Family Partnership found that children whose parents did not participate in home visitation programs that provided coaching in parenting skills, advice and support, were almost 5 times more likely to be abused in their first 2 years of life;
(5)a child’s exposure to domestic violence seems to pose the greatest independent risk for being the victim of any act of partner violence as an adult;
(6)children exposed to domestic violence are more likely to believe that using violence is an effective means of getting one’s needs met and managing conflict in close relationships;
(7)children exposed to abusive parenting, harsh or erratic discipline, or domestic violence are at increased risk for juvenile crime; and
(8)in a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 14043d of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

34 U.S.C. § 12461

Title 34Navy

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73