HARRISBURG, April 4, 2016 – State Sens. Christine Tartaglione and Rob Teplitz today won approval of a resolution marking April as “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania.

Sen. Tartaglione said increasing awareness is vital because 20 percent of women and one-in-33 men will experience sexual assault sometime during their lifetimes.

“The more we talk about sexual assault and the more educated people become about sexual assault, the better chance we have of preventing it,” Tartaglione said during floor remarks today. “And yet, the majority of sexual assaults are never reported to the police. We need to act to stop the violence now.”

Tartaglione said about 63 percent of sexual assault victims do not tell police about the crime committed against them.

“By teaching people how to recognize the signs of sexual abuse and what to do when someone is assaulted and abused. Every one of us can make a difference in someone’s life,” she said.

Sen. Tartaglione also applauded the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, a Harrisburg-based advocacy group that works to stop sexual assault and defend the rights of victims, for its work. On its website, PCAR defines sexual violence as “any type of unwanted sexual contact, ranging from sexist attitudes and actions to rape and murder.”

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