Issue Position: Violence and Trauma

Issue Position

Introduction

When we consider the root causes of inequities that exist in our communities, it is critical that we consider the impact of violence and resulting trauma. The epidemic of gun violence - and particularly mass shootings - has dominated the national conversation about violence and how we respond to it, but the violence impacting our communities takes many forms, including sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and violence against immigrants and the LGBTQ community. And violence, regardless of type, invariably results in trauma - for those directly impacted, family, friends, and others in the community.

As a survivor of sexual violence, I understand, on a personal level, the lasting challenges associated with trauma; research from the Violence Policy Center tells us that trauma as a result of exposure to violence can lead to a range of negative outcomes, including "symptoms expressed both internally, such as depression and anxiety, and externally, such as aggressive and violent behavior."[1] For communities disproportionately impacted by violence - including women and girls, minority communities, and low-income communities - the collective impact of violence-related trauma can create significant inequities in health outcomes, educational attainment, and economic opportunity. While violent crime rates in the City of Boston have fallen from historic highs, neighborhoods like Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan still experience a disproportionate amount of the violence that takes place in the City,[2] and communities like Chelsea have some of the highest violent crime rates in the state.[3] It is no coincidence that these communities are also dealing with greater challenges than some of their neighbors when it comes to public health, educational attainment, and economic opportunity.

On the Boston City Council, I have been intentional about shining a light on the experiences that lead to trauma, and challenges faced by those who are continuing to deal with it - including families impacted by gun violence, children who are exposed to violence at home or at school, and women and girls who are victims of sexual and domestic violence. At the federal level, we need policies that seek to prevent the kind of violence that leads to trauma - including gun violence, sexual violence, and hate crimes - and we need policies that support those who have been impacted by violence, in order to break the vicious cycle of trauma that perpetuates further violence and corrodes opportunity.

Policy Priorities

Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence

Sponsor legislation to codify guidance issued under Title IX regarding campus sexual assault. In 2011, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights issued guidance "that spelled out for colleges their responsibility to respond promptly and equitably to reports of sexual violence."[4] However, in September 2017, the Trump Administration rescinded these critical guidelines[5] - threatening justice for victims of sexual violence on campus. In Congress, I will co-sponsor the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, which would codify requirements for colleges and universities to respond quickly to reports of sexual violence, support survivors, and keep accurate records of sexual violence incidents on campus.
Support Paid Safe Days. In Congress, I would co-sponsor the Healthy Families Act to set national standards for sick leave and to provide job-protected "safe days" to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Under this legislation, paid safe days would provide time for survivors to recover from or seek assistance related to violence, including legal, medical, and psychological issues that stem from abuse. Too often, survivors of violence must choose between their job and their safety, making it much less likely that they will get the help they need. I would also push to include survivors of human trafficking as a part of the proposed legislation and extend coverage to "chosen family" or family-like relationships absent a legal or biological relative.
Sponsor an amendment to the Fair Housing Act to ensure legal protections for survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence. Current housing protections under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) only apply to domestic violence and sexual assault survivors living in public housing. I would advocate for expanding those protections to the private housing market as well by amending the Fair Housing Act, and I would support the Fair Housing for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors Act of 2017, which prohibits landlords from discriminating against survivors. To heal, survivors of domestic and sexual violence need access to basic necessities, including housing.
Protect the rights of survivors of human trafficking. In Congress, I would co-sponsor the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2017 which would allow victims of human trafficking to petition courts to have their criminal records cleared. Millions of individuals in the US and abroad have fallen victim to this modern-day form of slavery, consisting of sex exploitation and human trafficking. As a result, survivors are often charged with crimes like conspiracy, prostitution, money laundering, drug trafficking, or related offenses, making it hard for them to find jobs and housing. I believe that survivors should be freed from further criminalization and would support efforts to fairly and equitably protect the rights and needs of all trafficking survivors.
Co-Sponsor the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2017. This legislation is a critical way to combat human trafficking, by investing in services that prevent trafficking of youth before it occurs. Runaway and homeless youth, especially LGBTQ+ youth, are one of this nation's most vulnerable populations to human trafficking. In Congress, I will co-sponsor legislation to fund and support the access to housing and other essential services for youth at-risk for human trafficking.
Improve data collection on racial disparities in gender-based violence. Improving data collection will help researchers, policymakers, and service providers develop a more complete understanding of the challenges women face, especially women of color, in violent situations, including instances of intimate partner violence, police brutality, detention, and incarceration. It will also help efforts to develop effective interventions. In Congress, I will push to allocate specific funding to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other federal agencies to improve data collection as it relates to racial disparities in gender-based violence, including violence against transgender people.
Community Violence

Support community planning and development of comprehensive safety plans. Preventing further community gun violence is of utmost concern for many residents of the 7th district; however many of the strategies and efforts proposed lack dedicated funding and resources. In Congress, I would advocate for greater technical assistance and dedicated funding for communities that engage residents, law enforcement, public health officials, and other stakeholders in a community-planning process and commit to implementing comprehensive safety plans. This would help communities to identify and implement evidence-based violence prevention strategies like youth employment, neighborhood economic development, safe parks, and the restoration of vacant land.
Address the Intersection of Law Enforcement and Mental Health. With the climbing rates of death[6] and imprisonment of people with mental illness resulting from interactions with law enforcement,[7] sensitive domestic and community violence issues can and should be handled in partnership with a team of appropriate behavioral health professionals. As a Boston City Councilor, I have fought to adopt this multidisciplinary, trauma-informed approach as part of the Boston Police Department budget, and I will continue that fight in Congress. I will sponsor legislation to establish and fund Mental Health Response Teams that include behavioral health specialists, social workers and crisis counselors as part of crisis response teams in police departments across the nation.
Hold Law Enforcement Accountable and Protect Communities. In Congress, I would support the Local Task Forces on 21st Century Policing Act of 2018 introduced by Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and modeled after the Obama Administration's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. In Washington, I will bring a strong record of cooperative governing to create channels of communication between law enforcement and local communities, and focus on finding effective solutions to better hold police accountable for alleged misconduct. Local task forces are just one way for police to not only engage members of their communities, but also brainstorm and adopt community-driven policies to help reduce crime and build trust.
Publicly support the independent investigation and prosecution of cases of police brutality. More than 500 fatal shootings by police officers have occurred so far this year (nearly two dozen cases more than were reported this same time last year).[8] The erosion of public trust in the ability of police departments to investigate and respond to these shootings in a fair and unbiased manner threatens to further undermine trust between law enforcement and our communities. In Congress, I would work across the aisle to enact legislation that requires the independent investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of both fatal officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths.
Support survivors of non-fatal gun violence. Six out of every seven people who suffer a gunshot wound survive (excluding suicide attempts)[9] resulting in nearly 80,000 people physically injured by firearms each year.[10] Survivors of non-fatal gun violence make up the largest portion of this country's gun violence victims but remain largely overlooked and invisible in the public discourse around gun policy and reform. In Congress, I would introduce legislation to support the health care needs of survivors of non-fatal gun violence and require CDC and other federal agencies that collect gun violence data to include nonfatal shootings.
Gun Violence

Enact common-sense gun reform at the national level. Massachusetts has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation, but guns continue to flood our communities, many acquired in surrounding states with looser laws - that's why comprehensive gun control at the national level is so important. I support federal legislation that would ban assault weapons, bump stocks, and high-capacity magazines, raise the legal age to purchase a gun to 21, and require comprehensive background checks for all gun sales. I would also support legislation that creates a federal anti-trafficking law, to hold accountable individuals who purchase guns in states with more relaxed gun laws and then transport them to states with stricter laws, like Massachusetts.
Fund CDC research on gun violence. The recently passed omnibus spending bill provides authorization for the CDC to study gun violence as a public health epidemic, but provides no dedicated funding, effectively undermining this critical and long overdue research. Gun violence clearly represents a public health epidemic in our communities, and I would advocate for robust funding for the CDC to study the root causes of the epidemic and propose potential solutions.
Close the "boyfriend loophole." Federal law prohibits domestic abusers from purchasing a gun from a licensed dealer, but only if "he's currently married to, formerly married to, has a child with, or lives with the victim. That leaves a gaping loophole for dangerous abusive boyfriends and stalkers to walk right through," according to advocacy organization Everytown for Gun Safety.[11] In Congress, I would co-sponsor the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers Act, which would close this dangerous loophole.
Support public access to national database on gun tracing crimes. An often overlooked element in our push for comprehensive gun control are the restrictions on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that prevents the agency from releasing relevant information on gun crimes. Operating without relevant data from ATF makes it much more difficult for law enforcement agencies to solve violent crimes and identify gun trafficking patterns. In Congress, I would sponsor a bill to repeal the "Tiarht Amendments," which were promoted by the National Rifle Association and impose significant restrictions on ATF data collection and sharing, so that cities, states, researchers, and members of the public can access pertinent information about firearms and related crimes.
Trauma

Create and fund a "Survivors Bill of Rights" for all individuals experiencing trauma. The Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights provides critical protections for survivors of rape and other sexual violence. I believe we should build on this concept to create statutory rights for all individuals experiencing trauma, whether that trauma stems from abuse, neglect, fear of deportation, displacement, violence, incarceration or addiction. Left unaddressed, trauma perpetuates cycles of violence, poverty, and other negative outcomes. Survivors should be proactively informed of their rights and connected with available resources, including through dedicated trauma coordinators - support should not be contingent on survivors' ability to navigate complex systems. In Congress, I will work with survivors, advocates, and community organizations to develop legislation that safeguards the rights of all survivors.
Support trauma-informed practices in schools. In a trauma-informed school setting, all adults present - including teachers, administrators, coaches, and others - are prepared and resourced to recognize and respond to students who have been impacted by trauma and toxic stress. As your Congresswoman, I will continue to champion critical investments in trauma informed education, and specifically advocate for additional increases in flexible funding to support innovative local efforts on this front (through the Every Student Succeeds Act Title IV A), and new legislation calling for a trauma informed education toolkit highlighting evidence based approaches jointly developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Education.
End the criminalization and pushout of girls in school. Gender and race stereotypes, as well as overly harsh discipline practices, play a significant role in girls' dropout rates, and can lead to involvement with the juvenile justice system. Black and Latinx girls nationally are six times more likely to be suspended from school than their white counterparts, whereas in Boston, girls of color are nearly 11 times more likely to face suspension.[12] When the education of girls is interrupted, there are startling, lifelong economic ramifications for them, their families, and the community as a whole. In Congress, I will push to improve school discipline policies and codify requirements for the U.S. Department of Education to collect and share best practices so that school districts can develop and equitably implement culturally-competent and gender-informed policies.
Support Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families. In Congress, I will co-sponsor the Trauma-Informed Care for Children and Families Act to address the psychological, developmental, social, and emotional needs of children, youth, and families who have experienced trauma, and for other purposes. The bill, first introduced in the House in December 2016 by Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL), aims to increase understanding and awareness of trauma and identify best practices for prevention and treatment, particularly for children in urban neighborhoods who have experienced community violence.
Defund ICE. The actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Trump Administration - including indiscriminate raids in our communities - are creating an atmosphere of toxic fear and resulting in widespread trauma among immigrants and their families, undermining efforts to create trust and integrate immigrant communities. I believe we need to fundamentally reform our immigration system, beginning with eliminating the detainment and deportation functions within ICE, which have become so destructive to our communities.
Pass legislation to support trauma-informed mental health services for immigrant children who have been detained and/or separated from their families. The long-term consequences of family separation and institutionalization are hard to predict and depend on many factors - like the age of children at the time of separation and the length of time away from family - but pose a potentially significant risk to the health and emotional well-being of the children involved. Children, especially those who have been exposed to trauma and violence, should not be placed in settings that do not meet basic standards for children's physical and mental health and that expose them to further risk of fear and trauma. In Congress, I would support legislation to provide trauma-informed mental health screening for all children seeking safe haven in the United States, and eliminate immigration enforcement practices that create additional trauma.
Promote Trauma-Informed Strategies to Prevent and Treat Addiction. More efforts aimed at the prevention of toxic stress and trauma in groups at high risk of exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACE's) is a primary treatment model for substance use disorders. Prevention programs can help to ensure that generational trauma does not result in the continued abuse of drugs and other substances and the devastation of our families and communities. In Congress, I would promote trauma-informed strategies aimed at preventing and treating addiction. By reducing exposure to adverse childhood experiences, we can dramatically decrease risk for addiction and other health and mental health problems in the long run.

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