[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 123, 111th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8359--APR. 8, 2009

Proclamation 8359 of April 8, 2009
National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, 2009
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Sexual assault scars the lives of millions in the United States. To
increase awareness about this issue, prevent future crimes, and aid
victims, this month we mark National Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Sexual assault is pervasive in the United States. Study after study has
shown that this crime impacts people at all age levels and in every part
of this Nation. One recent study found that 18 percent of women in this
country have been raped in their lifetime. In addition, rates of sexual
assault remain startlingly high for students from high school to
college. A 2005 survey of high school students found that 10.8 percent
of girls and 4.2 percent of boys from grades nine to twelve were forced
to have sexual intercourse at some time in their lives. A study of
college women found that 13.7 percent of undergraduate women had been
victims of at least one completed sexual assault since entering college.
Unlike victims of sexual assault in the larger community, students
victimized by other students often face additional challenges in a
``closed'' campus environment. For example, a victim may continue to
live in danger if the perpetrator resides in the same dormitory or
attends the same classes. These statistics are all the more alarming
given that, according to recent research, a majority of victims do not
report their attacks to police.
Victims of all ages suffer from both the physical and emotional
consequences of the attack. Sexual assault can lead to long-term health
problems including chronic pain, stomach problems, and sexually
transmitted diseases. It can also cause severe emotional harm that may
be even more painful than the assault itself and resulting physical
injuries. The effects of sexual assault go well beyond the direct
victim: sexual assault also has a profound impact on a victim's family,
friends, neighbors, and workplace.
Victims need an array of services to heal from the trauma of sexual
assault, including crisis intervention, 24-hour sexual assault hotlines,
medical and criminal justice accompaniment, advocacy, and counseling.
Victim service providers are essential to this effort and work

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tirelessly to help victims cope with the trauma of sexual assault and
transition from ``victim'' to ``survivor.''
Landmark legislation has helped fund these critical services. The
Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA, Public Law 98-473) established the
Crime Victims Fund to fund services such as forensic sexual assault
examinations and compensation claims for both adult and child victims.
For example, since 1997, VOCA funding has supported the development of
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs and multi-disciplinary
Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART). The Violence Against Women Act of
2005 (VAWA, Public Law 109-162) authorized the Sexual Assault Services
Program, the first Federal funding dedicated exclusively to sexual
assault services. The Program includes funding for culturally specific
programs that serve victims who face unique cultural and linguistic
barriers.
In addition to helping victims, offenders must be held accountable for
their crimes. Sexual assault forensic examinations and trained examiners
can ensure that victims are treated with requisite sensitivity and that
critical evidence is collected to facilitate a successful prosecution.
To this end, VAWA mandates that all States that accept Federal grants to
combat violence against women ensure that sexual assault victims receive
forensic examinations free of charge, even if the victim chooses not to
report the crime to the police.
To make continued progress, my Administration supports efforts to help
Americans better understand this issue. Working together, we can reduce
the incidence of sexual assault and help all who have experienced this
heinous crime.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2009, as National
Sexual Assault Awareness Month. I urge all Americans to respond to
sexual assault by creating policies at work and school, by engaging in
discussions with family and friends, and by making the prevention of
sexual assault a priority in their communities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of
April, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
third.
BARACK OBAMA