| R 215 |
| 2025 -- H 6199 Enacted 04/08/2025 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| COMMEMORATING APRIL OF 2025, AS "CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Representatives Roberts, Nardone, Chippendale, Santucci, Hopkins, Paplauskas, Fascia, Place, Newberry, and J. Brien |
| Date Introduced: April 08, 2025 |
| 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 the most recent National Statistics from Child |
| Abuse Organizations, one out of ten children in the United States has experienced physical and |
| sexual abuse. One in four girls and one in thirteen boys become a victim of child sexual abuse |
| before they turn eighteen years old according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; |
| and |
| WHEREAS, Forty-four percent of rape victims are under the age of eighteen and sixty- |
| three percent of all sexual assaults go unreported to the police; and |
| WHEREAS, According to the 2023 National Statistics on Child Abuse, U.S. child |
| welfare authorities look into the safety of more than 7.5 million children annually and of those, |
| around 3 million children received an investigation or alternative response from child protective |
| services agencies; 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| become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults, and can become suicidal; and |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 need to rely on adults to keep them safe and |
| ensure that child molesters and abusers are held responsible for their actions; now therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| commemorates April of 2025 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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| LC000478 |
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