H. Res. 1259 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

April 27, 2010. 

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

United States every 21⁄2 minutes; 

Whereas the Department of Justice reports that 203,830 

people in the United States were sexually assaulted in 

2008; 

Whereas 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims 

of rape or attempted rape; 

Whereas the Department of Defense received 2,908 reports 

of sexual assault involving members of the Armed Forces 

in fiscal year 2008, representing an eight percent increase from fiscal 2007; 

Whereas children and young adults are most at risk of sexual 

assault, 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, ability, and economic groups in the United States; 

Whereas women, children, and men suffer multiple types of 

sexual violence, including but not limited to acquaintance, 

stranger, spousal, and gang rape, incest, child sexual molestation, forced prostitution, trafficking, forced pornography, ritual abuse, sexual harassment, and stalking; 
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•HRES 1259 EH 

Whereas it is estimated that the percentage of completed or 

attempt rape victimization among women in higher educational institutions may be between 20 and 25 percent 

over the course of a college career; 

Whereas, in addition to the immediate physical and emotional 

costs, sexual assault has associated consequences that 

may include post-traumatic stress disorder, substance 

abuse, major depression, homelessness, eating disorders, 

and suicide, among others; 

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; 

Whereas, with 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 lead to the incarceration 

of rapists and therefore prevent them from committing 

further crimes; 

Whereas national, State, territory, and tribal coalitions, community-based rape crisis centers, and other organizations 

across the Nation are committed to increasing public 

awareness of sexual violence and its prevalence, and to 

eliminating it through prevention and education; 

Whereas important partnerships have been formed among 

criminal and juvenile justice agencies, health professionals, public health workers, educators, first responders, and victim service providers; 
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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, according to a 2010 survey of rape crisis centers 

by the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, 72 percent of programs have experienced a reduction in funding 

over the past year, 56 percent have experienced a reduction in staffing, 23 percent currently have a waiting list 

for services, and funding and staffing cuts have resulted 

in an overall 50 percent reduction in the provision of institutional advocacy services; 

Whereas individual and collective efforts reflect our dream for 

a Nation where citizens and organizations actively work 

to prevent all forms of sexual violence and no sexual assault victim goes unserved or ever feels there is no path 

to justice; 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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•HRES 1259 EH 

(B) it is appropriate to properly acknowledge 

the more than 20 million 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; 

and 

(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.