00                   HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 25                                                                   
01 Relating to proclaiming April of 2008 to be 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 occurs through acquaintance rape, stranger rape, sexual                                   
05 assault by a partner, child sexual abuse, incest, sexual harassment, prostitution, and                                  
06 pornography; and                                                                                                        
07       WHEREAS it is estimated that one in three women, one in four girls, one in six boys,                            
08 and one in 11 men will be victims of sexual violence; and                                                               
09       WHEREAS the crime of sexual assault violates an individual's privacy, dignity,                                  
10 security, and humanity, and leaves long-lasting physical and emotional scars that can                                   
11 influence every aspect of an individual's life; and                                                                     
12       WHEREAS this state, at 2.5 times the national average, continues to have the highest                            
13 per capita occurrence of sexual assault in the nation, and it is important that sexual assault be                       
14 recognized as a preventable problem in every community, large and small, in the state;                                  
15 speaking out against sexual assault is an important first step to eliminating this devastating                          
16 crime; and                                                                                                              

01       WHEREAS it is also important to recognize the compassion, commitment, and                                       
02 dedication of the individuals who provide services to sexual assault survivors and work to                              
03 increase public understanding of this major problem; and                                                                
04       WHEREAS one person, organization, agency, or community cannot by itself                                         
05 eliminate sexual violence, and the citizens of this state need to work together to educate the                          
06 entire population of the state about what can be done to prevent sexual assault, to support                             
07 victims, survivors, and their families, and to increase support for agencies providing services                         
08 to these survivors; by uniting in this effort, the citizens of this state can make a difference;                        
09       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature proclaims the month of                                         
10 April 2008 to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month and encourages all of the citizens of this                              
11 state to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month by speaking out against sexual assault and                              
12 letting others know that sexual assault will not be tolerated.