Title
To Recognize April As Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
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WHEREAS, one in five women and one in 71 men will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lives; and
WHEREAS, 91% of the victims of sexual assault are female; and
WHEREAS, annually, rape costs the U.S. more than any other crime, $127 billion; and
WHEREAS, 81% of women and 35% of men report significant short-term impacts such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; and
WHEREAS, 58% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered homeless youths are sexually assaulted; and
WHEREAS, 325,000 children are at risk of becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation each year, the average age at which girls first become victims of prostitution is 12 to 14 years old, and the average age for boys is 11-13 years; and
WHEREAS, By the Ohio Attorney General's 2014 Human Trafficking Report of 181 potential trafficking victims identified, 110 were under the age of 20, 39 under the age of 18 and 4 under the age of 12; and
WHEREAS, BRAVO is an advocate for survivors of hate crimes, discrimination, domestic violence, and sexual assault and documents incidences of hate crimes and domestic violence along with similar agencies across the United States; and
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council acknowledges national Sexual Violence Awareness Month and encourages all citizens to promote a culture of awareness, healing, engagement, and prevention regarding sexual violence.