123STA T . 3 6 2 5PROCL A M AT I O N8 35 9— APR. 8 , 2 0 09 NOW,THER E F ORE, I , BA RA CK OBA M A, Presid e ntof t h e U nited S t a tesofA m eri c a, byv irt u e of the authority vested in me by the Con - stitution and l a w s of the United States, do hereby p roclaim April 8 , 20 0 9 , as National D. A.R.E. Day. I call upon our youth, parents, edu- cators, law enforcement personnel, and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate pro g rams and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of April, in the year of our L ord two thousand nine, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty- third. BARACK OBAMA Proclam a ti o n8359 o fAp ril 8 ,20 09 Nation a lSexu al As sault A w a r eness M ont h,20 0 9BythePr e sid e n t of the U nited S t a tes of Am eri c a A Proc l amation Se x ual assault scars the lives of millions in the United States. To in- crease awareness about this issue, prevent future crimes, and aid vic- tims, this month we mar k National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sexual assault is pervasive in the United States. Study after study has shown that this crime impacts people at all age levels and in every part of this Nation. One recent study found that 1 8 percent of women in this country have been raped in their lifetime. In addition, rates of sex- ual assault remain startlingly high for students from high school to col- lege. A 200 5 survey of high school students found that 10.8 percent of girls and 4 .2 percent of boys from grades nine to twelve were forced to have sexual intercourse at some time in their lives. A study of col- lege women found that 1 3 . 7 percent of undergraduate women had been victims of at least one completed sexual assault since entering college. Unlike victims of sexual assault in the larger community, students vic- timi z ed by other students often face additional challenges in a ‘ ‘closed ’ ’ campus environment. For example, a victim may continue to live in danger if the perpetrator resides in the same dormitory or at- tends the same classes. These statistics are all the more alarming given that, according to recent research, a ma j ority of victims do not report their attacks to police. V ictims of all ages suffer from both the physical and emotional con- se q uences of the attack. Sexual assault can lead to long-term health problems including chronic pain, stomach problems, and sexually transmitted diseases. It can also cause severe emotional harm that may be even more painful than the assault itself and resulting physical inju- ries. The effects of sexual assault go well beyond the direct victim
sex- ual assault also has a profound impact on a victim’s family, friends, neighbors, and workplace. Victims need an array of services to heal from the trauma of sexual as- sault, including crisis intervention, 24-hour sexual assault hotlines, medical and criminal justice accompaniment, advocacy, and coun- seling. Victim service providers are essential to this effort and work
