2023 -- H 6246
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LC001356
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
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 AWAREN ESS
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 1
order to recognize and increase awareness about sexual violence against children and educate 2
communities on how to prevent it; and 3
WHEREAS, Child sexual abuse is a significant public health problem and is not solely 4
restricted to physical contact; such abuse could include noncontact abuse, such as exposure, 5
voyeurism, and child pornography; and 6
WHEREAS, The prevalence of child sexual abuse is difficult to fully determine because 7
it is often not reported, however, according to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Health 8
and Human Services, one out of seven children in the United States has experienced physical and 9
sexual abuse, with 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys becoming a victim of child sexual abuse; and 10
WHEREAS, Forty-four percent of rape victims are under the age of eighteen and fifty-11
nine percent of all sexual assaults go unreported to the police; and 12
WHEREAS, According to the 2020 Child Maltreatment Report, approximately 2 million 13
children received sexual assault prevention services in 2020, and the most vulnerable to sexual 14
assault are between the ages of 7 and 13; and 15
WHEREAS, A child who is the victim of prolonged sexual abuse usually develops low 16
self-esteem, a feeling of worthlessness and an abnormal or distorted view of sex. The child may 17
become withdrawn and mistrustful of adults, and can become suicidal; and 18
WHEREAS, Children do not always fully comprehend nor are they developmentally 19
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prepared or have the ability to give consent and must rely on adults to keep them safe and insure 1
that child molesters and abusers are held responsible for their actions; and 2
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 3
commemorates April of 2023 as "Child Sexual Assault Awareness Month" and calls upon all 4
Rhode Islanders to help prevent and eliminate child sexual assault and violence in our 5
communities through advocacy, training, education and prevention programs; and be it further 6
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 7
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the State of Rhode Island Department of 8
Children, Youth & Families and the Children's Advocacy Center. 9
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LC001356
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