PRINTER'S NO. 4013
No. 814 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY SIPTROTH, BELFANTI, BENNINGTON, BEYER, BISHOP,
BOBACK, BROOKS, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, COHEN,
CONKLIN, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DePASQUALE, DiGIROLAMO,
DONATUCCI, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FLECK, FRANKEL, GEIST, GIBBONS,
GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GRELL, GRUCELA, HARHART, HARKINS,
HARPER, HELM, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HICKERNELL,
HUTCHINSON, JAMES, KENNEY, KILLION, KOTIK, KULA, LEACH,
LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, MANTZ, MARSHALL, MARSICO,
McILHATTAN, MELIO, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILNE, MOYER, MUNDY,
MURT, MUSTIO, MYERS, NAILOR, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PALLONE,
PARKER, PAYNE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PYLE, QUINN, RAMALEY, RAPP,
READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, ROCK, ROHRER, ROSS, RUBLEY,
SAINATO, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SEIP, K. SMITH, SOLOBAY, SONNEY,
SURRA, SWANGER, THOMAS, VEREB, VULAKOVICH, WALKO, WATSON,
J. WHITE, WOJNAROSKI, YUDICHAK, BRENNAN, DeLUCA AND
MANDERINO, JUNE 23, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JUNE 23, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the month of October 2008 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
1 backgrounds; and
2 WHEREAS, Domestic violence takes many forms, whereby victims
3 are often subjected to abuse, harassment, threats, vandalism,
4 trespassing, burglary, theft and stalking; and
5 WHEREAS, Domestic violence is often escalated, causing
6 victims to suffer physical and emotional trauma, anxiety,
7 stress, sleep deprivation, loss of confidence, fear and, in some
8 cases, injury and death by suicide or homicide; and
9 WHEREAS, One in every four women and one in every nine men
10 will experience domestic violence in his or her lifetime; and
11 WHEREAS, One in six women and one in 33 men have experienced
12 an attempted or completed rape; and
13 WHEREAS, Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are
14 physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the
15 United States; and
16 WHEREAS, Thirty percent to 60% of perpetrators of intimate
17 partner violence also abuse children in the home; and
18 WHEREAS, Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5
19 million mental health care visits each year; and
20 WHEREAS, The cost of intimate partner violence exceeds $5.8
21 billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for direct medical
22 and mental health services; and
23 WHEREAS, Domestic violence is one of the most chronically
24 underreported crimes; and
25 WHEREAS, There are many barriers to detecting domestic
26 violence; and
27 WHEREAS, To increase victims' safety, authorities must
28 carefully follow screening, reporting, documentation and
29 referral requirements; and
30 WHEREAS, At-risk individuals and families need victim
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1 education relating to their legal rights, judicial proceedings,
2 advocacy, counseling and support services, shelter care and
3 crisis intervention; therefore be it
4 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
5 month of October 2008 as "Domestic Violence Awareness Month" in
6 Pennsylvania.
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