00 Enrolled HCR 20                                                                                                         
01 Proclaiming the month of April 2010 to be 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 it is estimated that one in three women, one in four girls, one in six boys,                             
09 and one in 11 men will report being victims of sexual violence; and                                                     
10      WHEREAS the crime of sexual assault violates an individual's privacy, dignity,                                   
11 security, and humanity, and leaves long-lasting physical and emotional scars that can                                   
12 influence every aspect of an individual's life; and                                                                     
13      WHEREAS this state, at 2.6 times the national average, continues to have the highest                             
14 per capita occurrence of sexual assault in the nation, and it is important that sexual assault be                       
15 recognized as a problem of epidemic proportions in every community, urban, rural, and                                   
16 remote, in the state; and                                                                                               
17      WHEREAS speaking out against sexual assault is an important first step toward                                    
01 eliminating this devastating crime; and                                                                                 
02      WHEREAS it is important to recognize the compassion, commitment, and dedication                                  
03 of the individuals who provide services to sexual assault survivors and work to increase                                
04 public understanding of this major problem; and                                                                         
05      WHEREAS, because one person, organization, agency, or community cannot by itself                                 
06 eliminate sexual violence, the citizens of Alaska need to work together to educate the entire                           
07 population of the state about what can be done to eliminate sexual assault, to support victims,                         
08 survivors, and their families, and to personally increase support for agencies that provide                             
09 services to these survivors; by uniting in this effort, the citizens of this state can make a                           
10 difference;                                                                                                             
11      BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature proclaims the month of                                          
12 April 2010 to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month and encourages all of the citizens of the                               
13 state to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month by speaking out against sexual assault,                                 
14 listening to those who have been harmed, and letting others know that sexual assault will not                           
15 be tolerated.