00                    SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 6                                                                   
01 Proclaiming April 2015 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.                                                               
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS sexual assault affects women, children, and men of all racial, cultural,                                
04 and economic backgrounds and abilities, and occurs through acquaintance rape, date rape,                                
05 stranger rape, sexual assault by a partner, child sexual abuse, incest, sexual harassment,                              
06 prostitution, and pornography; and                                                                                      
07       WHEREAS the crime of sexual assault violates an individual's sense of self, privacy,                            
08 dignity, security, and humanity, and leaves long-lasting physical and emotional scars that can                          
09 influence every aspect of an individual's life; and                                                                     
10       WHEREAS results from the Alaska Victimization Survey show an estimated 37 out                                   
11 of every 100 Alaska women have experienced sexual assault within their lifetime; and                                    
12       WHEREAS over 1,450 children were evaluated by child advocacy centers in the state                               
13 for possible sexual abuse last year; and                                                                                
14       WHEREAS approximately 1,400 adult victims of sexual assault sought services at                                  
15 rape crisis centers in the state last year; and                                                                         
16       WHEREAS it is important to recognize the compassion, commitment, and dedication                                 
01 of the individuals who provide services to sexual assault survivors and work to increase                                
02 public understanding of sexual assault; and                                                                             
03       WHEREAS, in 2014, first responders from 19 communities--Anchorage, Barrow,                                      
04 Bethel, Cordova, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Homer, Hoonah, Juneau, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak,                                
05 Kotzebue, Mat-Su, Nome, Petersburg, Seward, Sitka, and Unalaska--participated in Sexual                                 
06 Assault Response Team training; and                                                                                     
07       WHEREAS speaking out against sexual assault is an important first step toward                                   
08 eliminating this devastating crime; and                                                                                 
09       WHEREAS research indicates the need to develop comprehensive sexual violence                                    
10 prevention programs that target multiple, interacting risk and protective factors in                                    
11 behaviorally relevant ways; and                                                                                         
12       WHEREAS communities across the state are taking up the challenge, implementing                                  
13 evidence-based prevention programming such as Girls on the Run, Coaching Boys into Men,                                 
14 and Green Dot Alaska; and                                                                                               
15       WHEREAS because one person, organization, agency, or community cannot, by                                       
16 itself, eliminate sexual violence, the citizens of Alaska need to work together to educate the                          
17 entire population of the state about what can be done to eliminate sexual assault; and                                  
18       WHEREAS schools across the state are implementing the Fourth R-healthy                                          
19 relationships curricula in grades 7 through 9, which has been shown to reduce adherence to                              
20 rape myths that blame the victim and to enhance social and emotional learning, which focuses                            
21 on self-management and responsible decision-making; and                                                                 
22       WHEREAS positive healthy male role models are engaging boys through programs                                    
23 such as COMPASS to explore and adopt concepts of masculinity that include respect for                                   
24 women and nonviolent models of manhood; and                                                                             
25       WHEREAS victims, survivors, and their families deserve support; by uniting in this                              
26 effort, the citizens of this state can make a difference; last year approximately 3,000                                 
27 volunteers devoted 75,233 hours of service in the state;                                                                
28       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature proclaims the month of                                         
29 April 2015 to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month and encourages all of the citizens of the                               
30 state to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month by speaking out against sexual assault,                                 
31 listening to those who have been harmed, and letting others know that sexual assault will not                           
01 be tolerated.