[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 8 Referred in House (RFH)]

  1st Session
S. J. RES. 8


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 12, 2003

               Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to raising awareness and 
   encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the United States and 
 supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness 
                         and Prevention Month.

Whereas, on average, another person is sexually assaulted in the United States 
        every two minutes;
Whereas, the Department of Justice reports that 248,000 people in the United 
        States were sexually assaulted in 2001;
Whereas, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims of rape or attempted 
        rape;
Whereas, children and young adults are most at risk, as 44 percent of sexual 
        assault victims are under the age of 18, and 80 percent are under the 
        age of 30;
Whereas, sexual assault affects women, men, and children of all racial, social, 
        religious, age, ethnic, and economic groups in the United States;
Whereas, less than 40 percent of sexual assault victims pursue prosecution by 
        reporting their attack to law enforcement agencies;
Whereas, two-thirds of sexual crimes are committed by persons who are not 
        strangers to the victims;
Whereas, the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half in the last decade;
Whereas, because of recent advances in DNA technology, law enforcement agencies 
        have the potential to identify the rapists in tens of thousands of 
        unsolved rape cases;
Whereas, aggressive prosecution can incarcerate rapists and therefore prevent 
        them from committing further crimes;
Whereas, sexual assault victims suffer emotional scars long after the physical 
        scars have healed; and
Whereas, free, confidential help is available to all victims of sexual assault 
        through the National Sexual Assault Hotline, more than 1,000 rape crisis 
        centers across the United States, and other organizations that provide 
        services to assist victims of sexual assault: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That--
            (1) it is the sense of Congress that--
                    (A) National Sexual Assault Awareness and 
                Prevention Month provides a special opportunity to 
                educate the people of the United States about sexual 
                violence and to encourage both the prevention of sexual 
                assault and the prosecution of its perpetrators;
                    (B) it is appropriate to salute the more than 
                20,000,000 victims who have survived sexual assault in 
                the United States and the efforts of victims, 
                volunteers, and professionals who combat sexual 
                assault;
                    (C) national and community organizations and 
                private sector supporters should be recognized and 
                applauded for their work in promoting awareness about 
                sexual assault, providing information and treatment to 
                its victims, and encouraging the increased prosecution 
                and punishment of its perpetrators; and
                    (D) police, forensic workers, and prosecutors 
                should be recognized and applauded for their hard work 
                and innovative strategies to increase the percentage of 
                sexual assault cases that result in the prosecution and 
                incarceration of the offenders;
            (2) Congress urges national and community organizations, 
        businesses in the private sector, and the media to promote, 
        through National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, 
        awareness of sexual violence and strategies to decrease the 
        incidence of sexual assault; and
            (3) Congress supports the goals and ideals of National 
        Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

            Passed the Senate April 11, 2003.

            Attest:

                                             EMILY J. REYNOLDS,

                                                             Secretary.