00 Enrolled SCR 20                                                                                                         
01 Proclaiming April 2016 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.                                                               
02                                        _______________                                                                  
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                             
04      WHEREAS sexual assault affects women, children, and men of all racial, cultural,                                 
05 and economic backgrounds and occurs through acquaintance rape, stranger rape, sexual                                    
06 assault by a partner, child sexual abuse, incest, sexual harassment, prostitution, and                                  
07 pornography; and                                                                                                        
08      WHEREAS the crime of sexual assault violates an individual's privacy, dignity,                                   
09 security, and humanity and leaves long-lasting physical and emotional scars that can influence                          
10 every aspect of an individual's life; and                                                                               
11      WHEREAS results from the 2015 Alaska Victimization Survey show an estimated                                      
12 33.1 out of every 100 Alaska women have experienced sexual assault within their lifetime;                               
13 and                                                                                                                     
14      WHEREAS over 2,056 children were evaluated by child advocacy centers in the state                                
15 for possible sexual abuse last year; and                                                                                
16      WHEREAS 1,398 adult victims of sexual assault sought services at rape crisis centers                             
17 in the state last year; and                                                                                             
01      WHEREAS it is important to recognize the compassion, commitment, and dedication                                  
02 of the individuals who provide services to sexual assault survivors and work to increase                                
03 public understanding of sexual assault; and                                                                             
04      WHEREAS, in 2015, first responders from 16 communities--Anchorage, Barrow,                                       
05 Bethel, Cordova, Dillingham, Eielson Air Force Base, Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright, Juneau,                                
06 Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, Palmer, Seward, Unalaska, and Valdez--participated in Sexual                                    
07 Assault Response Team training; and                                                                                     
08      WHEREAS speaking out against sexual assault is an important first step toward                                    
09 eliminating this devastating crime; and                                                                                 
10      WHEREAS research indicates the need to develop comprehensive sexual violence                                     
11 prevention programs that target multiple, interacting risk and protective factors in                                    
12 behaviorally relevant ways; and                                                                                         
13      WHEREAS communities across the state are taking up the challenge, implementing                                   
14 evidence-based prevention programs, such as Girls on the Run, Coaching Boys into Men, and                               
15 Green Dot Alaska; and                                                                                                   
16      WHEREAS, because one person, organization, agency, or community cannot, by                                       
17 itself, eliminate sexual violence, the citizens of Alaska need to work together to educate the                          
18 entire population of the state about what can be done to eliminate sexual assault; and                                  
19      WHEREAS schools across the state are implementing the Fourth R-healthy                                           
20 relationships curriculum in grades seven through nine, which has been shown to reduce                                   
21 adherence to rape myths and to enhance social and emotional learning focusing on self-                                  
22 management and responsible decision-making; and                                                                         
23      WHEREAS positive healthy male role models are engaging boys through programs                                     
24 such as COMPASS to explore and adopt concepts of masculinity that include respect for                                   
25 women and nonviolent models of manhood; and                                                                             
26      WHEREAS victims, survivors, and their families deserve support; by uniting in this                               
27 effort, the citizens of this state can make a difference; last year approximately 3,000                                 
28 volunteers devoted 63,368 hours of service in the state;                                                                
29      BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature proclaims the month of                                          
30 April 2016 to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month and encourages all of the residents of the                              
31 state to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month by speaking out against sexual assault,                                 
01 listening to those who have been harmed, and letting others know that sexual assault will not                           
02 be tolerated.