PRINTER'S NO.  738

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

No.

105

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY SIPTROTH, BROWN, BELFANTI, BEYER, BISHOP, BRENNAN, BROOKS, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, CONKLIN, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CUTLER, DELOZIER, DeLUCA, DePASQUALE, DONATUCCI, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, GEIST, GRELL, GROVE, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HUTCHINSON, KOTIK, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAJOR, MANDERINO, MANN, McCALL, MELIO, MILLARD, MOUL, MUNDY, MURT, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PEIFER, PICKETT, QUINN, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROHRER, ROSS, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SOLOBAY, SWANGER, THOMAS, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, WATSON, YOUNGBLOOD AND FREEMAN, MARCH 3, 2009

  

  

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, MARCH 3, 2009  

  

  

  

A RESOLUTION

  

1

Recognizing the month of October 2009 as "Domestic Violence

2

Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.

3

WHEREAS, Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior

4

used to establish power and control over an intimate partner;

5

and

6

WHEREAS, Domestic violence often causes emotional harm to

7

victims, their children, other family members, friends,

8

neighbors and coworkers; and

9

WHEREAS, Domestic violence affects men and women in all

10

racial, ethnic, religious, educational, social and economic

11

backgrounds; and

12

WHEREAS, Domestic violence takes many forms, whereby victims

13

are often subjected to abuse, harassment, threats, vandalism,

 


1

trespassing, burglary, theft and stalking; and

2

WHEREAS, Domestic violence is often escalated, causing

3

victims to suffer physical and emotional trauma, anxiety,

4

stress, sleep deprivation, loss of confidence, fear and, in some

5

cases, injury and death by suicide or homicide; and

6

WHEREAS, One in every four women and one in every nine men

7

will experience domestic violence in his or her lifetime; and

8

WHEREAS, One in six women and one in 33 men have experienced

9

an attempted or completed rape; and

10

WHEREAS, Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are

11

physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the

12

United States; and

13

WHEREAS, Thirty percent to 60% of perpetrators of intimate

14

partner violence also abuse children in the home; and

15

WHEREAS, Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5

16

million mental health care visits each year; and

17

WHEREAS, The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8

18

billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical

19

and mental health services; and

20

WHEREAS, Domestic violence is one of the most chronically

21

underreported crimes; and

22

WHEREAS, There are many barriers to detecting domestic

23

violence; and

24

WHEREAS, To increase victims' safety, authorities must

25

carefully follow screening, reporting, documentation and

26

referral requirements; and

27

WHEREAS, At-risk individuals and families need victim

28

education relating to their legal rights, judicial proceedings,

29

advocacy, counseling and support services, shelter care and

30

crisis intervention; therefore be it

- 2 -

 


1

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the

2

month of October 2009 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in

3

Pennsylvania.

- 3 -