| R 218 |
| 2023 -- H 6246 Enacted 04/04/2023 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| COMMEMORATING APRIL OF 2023, AS "CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Representatives Casimiro, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Newberry, Boylan, Baginski, Noret, Caldwell, and Kazarian |
| Date Introduced: April 04, 2023 |
| WHEREAS, Child Sexual Assault Awareness Month is observed annually in April in |
| order to recognize and increase awareness about sexual violence against children and educate |
| communities on how to prevent it; and |
| WHEREAS, Child sexual abuse is a significant public health problem and is not solely |
| restricted to physical contact; such abuse could include noncontact abuse, such as exposure, |
| voyeurism, and child pornography; and |
| WHEREAS, The prevalence of child sexual abuse is difficult to fully determine because |
| it is often not reported, however, according to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health |
| and Human Services, one out of seven children in the United States has experienced physical and |
| sexual abuse, with 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys becoming a victim of child sexual abuse; and |
| WHEREAS, Forty-four percent of rape victims are under the age of eighteen and fifty- |
| nine percent of all sexual assaults go unreported to the police; and |
| WHEREAS, According to the 2020 Child Maltreatment Report, approximately 2 million |
| children received sexual assault prevention services in 2020, and the most vulnerable to sexual |
| assault are between the ages of 7 and 13; and |
| WHEREAS, A child who is the victim of prolonged sexual abuse usually develops low |
| self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness and an abnormal or distorted view of sex. The child may |
| become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults, and can become suicidal; and |
| WHEREAS, Children do not always fully comprehend nor are they developmentally |
| prepared or have the ability to give consent and must rely on adults to keep them safe and insure |
| that child molesters and abusers are held responsible for their actions; and |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| commemorates April of 2023 as "Child Sexual Assault Awareness Month" and calls upon all |
| Rhode Islanders to help prevent and eliminate child sexual assault and violence in our |
| communities through advocacy, training, education and prevention programs; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the State of Rhode Island Department of |
| Children, Youth & Families and the Children's Advocacy Center. |
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| LC001356 |
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