00                   HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3                                                                    
01 Relating to proclaiming April of 2007 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.                                                
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS sexual assault is one of the most devastating crimes in society today; and                              
04       WHEREAS Alaska has the highest per capita occurrence of sexual assault in the                                   
05 nation; and                                                                                                             
06       WHEREAS sexual assault affects women, children, and men of all racial, cultural,                                
07 and economic backgrounds; and                                                                                           
08       WHEREAS one out of six women has been raped; and                                                                
09       WHEREAS one out of 33 men has been sexually assaulted; and                                                      
10       WHEREAS the incidence of rape in Alaska is 2.5 times the national average; and                                  
11       WHEREAS only one out of every six rapes is ever reported to law enforcement                                     
12 agencies, making rape the most underreported violent crime in America; and                                              
13       WHEREAS child sexual abuse results in exceptional trauma to the victims and in the                              
14 loss of childhood innocence; and                                                                                        
15       WHEREAS these statistics do not include the countless numbers of family members,                                
16 loved ones, co-workers, and neighbors affected by the devastating crime of sexual assault; and                          

01       WHEREAS many residents of Alaska work to provide quality services and assistance                                
02 to sexual assault survivors; dedicated volunteers and professionals respond to emergency calls                          
03 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering support, comfort, and advocacy throughout all stages                          
04 of the recovery process, including medical examinations and criminal proceedings; and                                   
05       WHEREAS building awareness that sexual assault is a problem in every Alaska                                     
06 community and that alerting the public to services that can help victims and loved ones of                              
07 victims of sexual assault is a crucial component to addressing the issue; and                                           
08       WHEREAS it is our goal to improve Alaska's response to sexual assault and to                                    
09 support and enhance educational efforts to provide information about sexual assault and the                             
10 services available to victim survivors and their loved ones;                                                            
11       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests the                                      
12 governor to proclaim the month of April 2007 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and be it                               
13       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges secondary schools,                                     
14 community organizations, and other public and private agencies and individuals to observe                               
15 Sexual Assault Awareness Month with suitable activities that increase public awareness of the                           
16 prevalence of sexual assault and how it can be combated in Alaska.