[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 6, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E823]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS 
                          AND PREVENTION MONTH

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                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 30, 2008

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support 
Concurrent Resolution 330, supporting the goals and ideals of National 
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
  I am proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution, which urges national 
and community organizations, private businesses, colleges and 
universities to promote awareness of sexual violence and encourage 
strategies to decrease the incidence of sexual assault.
  We have heard the frightening statistics too many times: 1 in 6 women 
and 1 in 33 men have been victims of rape or attempted rape; a person 
in the United States is sexually assaulted every two-and-a-half 
minutes; one in four college-aged women has been sexually assaulted. 
These numbers do not even take into account the assaults that go 
unreported by victims too scared to notify law enforcement or too far 
from sexual assault victim centers.
  National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month is a time to 
educate the American public about the unacceptable extent to which this 
form of violence has become common in the United States. But this month 
must also be a time to focus on the solutions so that come next April 
we can instead announce statistics measuring the progress we have made 
in bringing an end to sexual violence.
  In communities throughout the United States, women and men are 
working tirelessly to develop and implement innovative programs 
critical to the prevention and treatment of sexual assault. In 
Minnesota's Fourth District, Ramsey County developed the Runaway 
Intervention Project, which provides counseling and support for girls 
who have run away--or are at risk of running away--to reduce their 
danger of being sexual victimized. The County also reached out to men 
by creating the Men's Line hotline for men to call and receive guidance 
on practicing healthy, peaceful relationships. According to the 
National Network to End Domestic Violence, in one day, over 53,000 
American men, women and children use sexual assault services like these 
and others.
  During Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, I encourage my 
colleagues to learn about and promote organizations in their Districts 
that work to prevent sexual assault, treat its survivors and prosecute 
its perpetrators to bring an end to this violent crisis. Madam Speaker, 
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution and 
honoring those working across the country to bring an end to violence 
in our communities.

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