H. Res. 289

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

April 24, 2007.

Whereas, on average, a person is sexually assaulted in the 

United States every two-and-a-half minutes; 

Whereas the Department of Justice reports that 191,670 

people in the United States were sexually assaulted in 

2005; 

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 only 41 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 sexual assault survivors suffer emotional scars long 

after the physical scars have healed; 
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Whereas prevention education programs carried out by rape 

crisis and women’s health centers have the potential to 

reduce the prevalence of sexual assault in their communities; 

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 free, confidential help is available to all survivors 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 survivors of sexual assault; 

Whereas the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half in 

the last decade; and 

Whereas April is recognized as ‘‘National Sexual Assault 

Awareness and Prevention Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That—

(1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives 

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 the prevention of sexual assault, the improved treatment of its survivors, 

and the prosecution of its perpetrators; 
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(B) it is appropriate to properly acknowledge 

the more than 20,000,000 men and women who 

have survived sexual assault in the United States 

and salute the efforts of survivors, 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 survivors, and increasing the number of successful prosecutions of its perpetrators; 

(D) public safety, law enforcement, and health 

professionals 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) the House of Representatives strongly recommends national and community organizations, businesses in the private sector, colleges and universities, 

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 
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(3) the House of Representatives supports the goals 

and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and 

Prevention Month. 

Attest:

Clerk.