WHEREAS, Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month calls attention to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and impacts every person in this community; and

WHEREAS, rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment harm our community, and statistics show one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives;

WHEREAS, child sexual abuse prevention must be a priority to confront the reality that one in six boys and one in four girls will experience a sexual assault before age 18; and

WHEREAS, young people experience heightened rates of sexual violence, and youth ages 12-17 were 2.5 times as likely to be victims of rape or sexual assault; and

WHEREAS, on campus, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted during their time in college; and

WHEREAS, we must work together to educate our community about sexual violence prevention, supporting survivors, and speaking out against harmful attitudes and actions; and

WHEREAS, prevention is possible when everyone gets involved, and the first step is increasing education, awareness, and community involvement; it’s time for all of us to take action to create a safer environment for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, we do hereby recognize April 2024 as SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS and PREVENTION MONTH for Pulaski County and we call this observance to the attention of our citizens. We urge all citizens, community agencies, faith groups, medical facilities, and businesses to increase their participation in our efforts to support families, thereby preventing child abuse and strengthening our community.

“I felt it was very important to sign this proclamation,” said Pulaski County Judge Executive Marshall Todd. “When things are left in the dark, nothing changes. To put a light to the very serious subject of Sexual Assault by acknowledging victims is to show those that have felt they needed to hide in the dark that they are supported and they are worthy and that there is hope.”