Orange County NC Website
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> Proclamation <br /> " Sexual Assault Awareness Month " <br /> WHEREAS , the Orange County Rape Crisis Center assisted over 700 survivors of sexual <br /> violence , their loved ones , and community professionals during 2018 ; and <br /> WHEREAS , the Orange County Rape Crisis Center works with the county' s two school <br /> systems and other groups to provide students with age - appropriate information about violence <br /> prevention , reaching over 17, 500 youth and adults each year ; and <br /> WHEREAS , the coordination of the Orange County Sexual Assault Response Team ( SART ) is <br /> bringing together members of law enforcement , the medical community , the legal system , and <br /> other community advocates to improve services for survivors of sexual assault who come <br /> forward; and <br /> WHEREAS , 1 in 5 American women have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives <br /> ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010 ) ; and <br /> WHEREAS , in the United States rape is the most costly crime to its survivors , totaling $ 127 <br /> billion a year considering factors such as medical cost , lost earnings , pain , suffering , and lost <br /> quality of life (U . S . Department of justice , 1996 ) ; and <br /> WHEREAS , in the United States 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of <br /> sexual or physical violence committed by an intimate partner ( Centers for Disease Control and <br /> Prevention , 2010 ) ; and <br /> WHEREAS , there are more than 18 , 000 sex offenders registered as living in North Carolina ( NC <br /> State Bureau of Investigation , 2019 ) ; and <br /> WHEREAS , victim-blaming continues to be an enormous problem in instances of rape and <br /> sexual assault; and <br /> WHEREAS , the Orange County Rape Crisis Center , a nonprofit agency that has served this <br /> community since 1974 , is working to stop sexual violence and its impact through support , <br /> education , and advocacy; <br /> NOW , THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we , the Orange County Board of Commissioners , <br /> do hereby proclaim the month of April 2019 as " SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS <br /> MONTH " and encourage all residents to speak out agai <br /> , nst sexual violence and to support their <br /> local community' s efforts to prevent and respond to these appalling crimes . <br /> This the 2nd day of 019 . <br /> oft <br /> i1HOW <br /> i Penny Rich , Qhair <br /> 17 �2 Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />