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Recognizing the week of April 8 - 14, 2018 as "Philadelphia Crime Victims Rights Week" to encourage citizens to assist crime victims and to increase community awareness and support for the organizations that help crime victims rebuild their lives.
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WHEREAS, National Crime Victims Rights Week was established in 1981 to promote awareness and support for victims of crime, and is sponsored by the federal Office for Victims of Crime which provides funding to state victim assistance and compensation programs; and
WHEREAS, Various advocacy groups in the United States hold events within their respective cities annually to call attention to crime victims' rights during this particular week, focusing on a specific national theme; and
WHEREAS, This year's theme is "Expand the Circle: Reach All Victims", emphasizing how the crime victims field can improve victim access to support services; and
WHEREAS, A large proportion of people can expect to become the victim of a crime at some point in their lifetime, making crime not a remote or distant issue, but rather one that touches many of our families and communities; and
WHEREAS, Young people are disproportionately victimized compared to other age groups. Of the national population of 14 to 17-year-olds, over 69 percent had been assaulted, 56 percent had experienced a property victimization (including robbery), 41 percent had been maltreated, and 27 percent had been sexually victimized at some point in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, Crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse affect survivors in the most intimate aspects of their lives; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, 25% of crime victims experienced lifetime PTSD and 23% of family members of homicide victims have also developed PTSD at some point in their lives; and
WHEREAS, Too often, factors such as language and culture, sexual orientation or gender identity, age, disability, and s...
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