PRINTER'S NO. 1087
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
94
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY McNEILL, PROBST, MADDEN, SCHLOSSBERG, HILL-EVANS,
FREEMAN, MERSKI, KINSEY, MALAGARI, SANCHEZ, GILLEN, MAYES,
HOWARD AND CERRATO, APRIL 28, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 28, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of April 2023 as "Sexual Assault Awareness
Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, April is nationally recognized as "Sexual Assault
Awareness Month" to call attention to the fact that sexual
violence is widespread and impacts every community; and
WHEREAS, April 2023 is the 22nd anniversary of the first
recognition of "Sexual Assault Awareness Month"; and
WHEREAS, Prior to the first "Sexual Assault Awareness Month",
social activists brought the realities of the prevalence of
sexual violence to the forefront of public perception; and
WHEREAS, During the civil rights era, although the realities
of sexual assault and domestic violence all too often went
unspoken, challenges to social injustices opened the door to
begin tough conversations about the intersections of race-based
and gender-based violence; and
WHEREAS, The 1970s saw the establishment of the first rape
crisis center in San Francisco and the first Take Back the Night
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event which protested all forms of sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, The reality of sexual violence received nationwide
recognition with the passage of the Violence Against Women Act
in 1993; and
WHEREAS, Before the first nationally observed "Sexual Assault
Awareness Month" in 2001, advocates held events and observances
related to sexual violence, including "Sexual Assault Awareness
Weeks," during the month of April; and
WHEREAS, The National Sexual Violence Resource Center has
designated the theme of "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" 2023 to
be "Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity" to recognize
the inherent connections between systems of oppression and
sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, Sexual violence, which includes rape, sexual assault
and sexual harassment, continues to have a deep physical and
emotional trauma on those who have experienced it; and
WHEREAS, Rape in the United States occurs more frequently
than the public realizes, as 1 in 5 women and 1 in 67 men have
been raped in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Someone in the United States is the victim of sexual
assault every 98 seconds; and
WHEREAS, On postsecondary campuses, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16
men are sexually assaulted at some point in their educational
career, and 90% of sexual assaults on college campuses go
unreported; and
WHEREAS, Young people experience disproportionate rates of
sexual violence with close to 70% of all reported incidents of
sexual violence involving a child under 18 years of age; and
WHEREAS, One in six boys and one in four girls experience
some form of sexual violence before they turn 18 years of age;
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and
WHEREAS, Close to 30% of non-Hispanic Black women in the
United States are survivors of rape; and
WHEREAS, More than 80% of American Indian and Alaska Native
women have experienced some form of personal violence in their
lives; and
WHEREAS, More than 30% of Hispanic women have reported
experiencing unwanted sexual contact; and
WHEREAS, Lesbian and bisexual women experience sexual and
physical violence by intimate partners at a significantly higher
rate compared to straight women; and
WHEREAS, Gay and bisexual men are up to 15 times more likely
than heterosexual men to report having been sexually assaulted;
and
WHEREAS, Nearly half of all transgender people experience
some form of sexual violence throughout their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, More than 90% of individuals with a developmental
disability experience sexual violence at least once in their
lifetime, and 49% experience 10 or more sexually abusive
incidents throughout their lives; and
WHEREAS, Only 27% of all incidents of sexual violence end in
arrest; and
WHEREAS, Communities can support survivors by believing their
stories, showing respect and championing their individual
support networks; and
WHEREAS, Individuals speaking out against inappropriate
jokes, offensive gestures, harmful attitudes and unwanted
actions make a positive impact toward ending sexual harassment,
abuse and assault; and
WHEREAS, Consent and boundaries can be violated online in a
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number of ways; and
WHEREAS, Individuals can work together to make their
communities safer by providing prevention education and
increasing public awareness to avoid future harm from sexual
violence; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
month of April 2023 as "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" in
Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
22nd anniversary of "Sexual Assault Awareness Month" to empower
more survivors and their loved ones on their journey to help,
hope and healing; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage
communities to understand their role in ending sexual violence
in Pennsylvania and the United States; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage
communities to commit to making a difference to ensure that
online platforms are safe and respectful for everyone by
practicing consent, keeping kids safe and supporting survivors.
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