2023 -- H 6246

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LC001356

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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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

     Referred To: House read and passed

     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become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults, and can become suicidal; and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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