[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S.J. Res. 8 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.J.Res.8
One Hundred Eighth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the seventh day of January, two thousand and three
Joint Resolution
Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to raising awareness and
encouraging prevention of sexual assault in the United States and
supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and
Prevention Month.
Whereas, on average, another person is sexually assaulted in the United
States every two minutes;
Whereas, the Department of Justice reports that 248,000 people in the
United States were sexually assaulted in 2001;
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, less than 40 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, the rate of sexual assaults has decreased by half in the last
decade;
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, sexual assault victims suffer emotional scars long after the
physical scars have healed; and
Whereas, free, confidential help is available to all victims 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 victims of sexual assault: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled, That--
(1) it is the sense of Congress 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 both the
prevention of sexual assault and the prosecution of its
perpetrators;
(B) it is appropriate to salute the more than 20,000,000
victims who have survived sexual assault in the United States
and the efforts of victims, 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 victims, and encouraging the increased
prosecution and punishment of its perpetrators; and
(D) police, forensic workers, and prosecutors 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) Congress urges national and community organizations,
businesses in the private sector, 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
(3) Congress supports the goals and ideals of National Sexual
Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.