By Serna H.C.R. No. 24 75R2078 SMC-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Violent crime affects the lives of millions of 1-2 Texans each year, causing grave physical, financial, and emotional 1-3 harm to victims and their families; and 1-4 WHEREAS, According to the American Medical Association, the 1-5 most rapidly growing violent crime in America is sexual assault; 1-6 each year, over 700,000 women are sexually assaulted with 80 1-7 percent of those sexual assaults committed by friends, 1-8 acquaintances, intimates, or family members of the victim; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Acquaintance rape or date rape has become 1-10 increasingly common among college-age victims; a survey of more 1-11 than 6,100 students enrolled at 32 institutions of higher education 1-12 across the United States found that an alarming 54 percent of those 1-13 surveyed had been the target of some form of sexual abuse and more 1-14 than one in four college-age women had been the victim of rape or 1-15 attempted rape; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Texas colleges and universities have a 1-17 responsibility to use whatever means possible to ensure the safety 1-18 and well-being of the students placed in their charge; for many 1-19 young people, this period represents the first time in their lives 1-20 that they have lived away from home, distant from the guidance of 1-21 their parents, and a course designed to acquaint them with the 1-22 information they need to avoid falling prey to date rape and other 1-23 acts of violence is essential for ensuring their protection; now, 1-24 therefore, be it 2-1 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-2 hereby encourage Texas colleges and universities to include a 2-3 course on antiviolence education, with a special emphasis given to 2-4 the prevention of acquaintance or date rape, in their school 2-5 curriculum; and, be it further 2-6 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 2-7 copy of this resolution to the presidents of each Texas college and 2-8 university.