In this paper I intend to explore different rape case and how they were handle, I will discuss the documentary The Hunting Ground, I will discuss cases where faculty members tried to help a victim and lost their jobs, and solutions to make sure this comes to an end. For the past few years, sexual assaults have been a very popular topic. In result of this topic, more rape victims are stepping up and speaking out on the ways that the college board handle their cases. When a student is sexual assaulted by another student on campus, the victims are supposed to go the Dean or the President of their school and report what happened. Students also trusted that the school will take the necessary steps in order to give the suspect some type of consequence. …show more content…
The question is why are school board handling these cases instead of the police department. The answer is to keep the assault crimes rate low or because the suspect is a star player and the school would benefit from keeping that peculiar student around. If a universities is known for high risk sexual assaults, parents will not feel comfortable enough sending their child there. Therefore, the school does whatever they have to do to keep their public image clean. “When it comes to sexual assault and rape, the norm for universities and colleges is to downplay the situation and the numbers,” says researcher Corey Rayburn Yung, JD, a law professor at the University of Kansas. Some time in January the office of Civil Rights was in the process of investigating ninety-seven cases at ninety-four different schools, Many of the universities were found to be underreporting the rate of on-campus sexual violence—a violation of the Clery Act, which requires schools to fully disclose details about crimes that occur within their jurisdictions. However some schools were willing to pay the fine of $35,000 in order to save their public image. From 2001 to 2012 rape has been an overlooked issue at different
When university or police find out about the sexual assault, they immediately blame the victim or question what the victim was wearing, drinking, or doing. “Brownmiller identified four basic rape myths: (1) All women want to be raped; (2) a woman cannot be raped against her will; (3) a woman who is raped is asking for it; and (4) if a woman is going to be raped, she might as well enjoy it” (Helgeson, 2012, p. 432). In The Hunting Ground, the rape myth, which a woman who is raped is asking for it, is seen throughout the testimonies of the survivors. Clark, herself, was told by her dean that “rape is like a football game” and asked if “looking back, what would you have done differently?” (Ziering & Dick, 2015). These rape myths affect how many victims actually report and how seriously sexual assaults are taken within universities and the justice system. For example, some women, themselves, subscribe to rape myths because they see how current cases are handled. “Women who did not physically fight off the person who raped them and who subscribed to the rape myth that “it can’t be rape if a woman doesn’t fight back” were less likely to acknowledge that they had been raped” (Helgeson, 2012, p. 434). Universities need to teach first-year students about consent and how to
In what is sure to be a very solemn matter for all American students and their families across the country , in January 2013 , President Obama, the office of the Vice President and the White House Council on Women and Girls converged and issued a renewed call to action against rape and sexual assault report which analyzes the most recent reliable data about this issue and identifies who are the most in peril victims of this malefaction, investigates the costs of this violence both for victims and communities , and describes the replication very often inadequate of the US malefactor equity system.
Sexual Assault on campus has become an epidemic, for many different reasons but one major factor that contributes is when a sexual assault occurs on a University and nothing is done. By allowing the perpetrator to get away with his or her crime your “Okaying” them and in a way giving approval which can lead
Most schools report that they have implemented programs and are actively participating in anti-rape activities around campus but are only doing so to meet the standards and make the school seem safer and more actively against the crime. In a study published in the National Institute of Justice it is reported that “anonymous reporting, which encourages victims to come forward, is an option at only half of the nation's school…and fewer than half the schools inform students on how to file criminal charges.” Schools advertise that they are educating their students about how to report the crimes and the importance of being aware of the dangers of rape but only meet the bare minimum with online programs that students can simply click through to pass. Schools are not effectively communicating that students really need to take these programs seriously and are instead allowing them to have negative attitudes towards the minimal education programs that they have set
sexual assault, because they have failed to keep the victim safe and instead favored in
When it comes to sexual assault on college campuses there is also the question of what can colleges do to decrease the amount of sexual assaults. Bradford Richardson and Jon A Shields wondered the same thing, so they conducted an ...
“I felt his hands start to move down towards my shorts as if he was trying to unbutton them or pull them off. I was still crying at this point and felt so scared that I couldn’t move” (Henneberger, 2012). These are words written by a college freshman after she had been raped, but they are true for many others as well. According to the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties, “every two minutes someone in the US is sexually assaulted” (Get the Facts). “Girls ages 16-19 are four times more likely than the than the general population to be victims of sexual assault” (Get the Facts). These women may be described as slut, cheap, or ready for action, rather than victim, sufferer, or survivor. Rape myths encourage these demeaning terms for women and conceal the reality of rape culture. I will describe the pervasiveness of sexual assault on college campuses as well as the systems and procedures in place to address it. Power plays a role in this issue, including the powerful men on campus such as athletes and fraternity members as well as the administrators in power who regulate the punishments and actions that are taken against the perpetrators. The influence of those in power often goes overlooked in our society because it has become so intertwined with our culture.
According to U.S News the problem with “sexual assaults on campus is not something that is consigned to a region or type of school, but is a ubiquitous reality on campuses of all shapes and sizes across America. All schools are required to designate an employee as their Title IX coordinator to help oversee the schools compliance with the law” (Jarrett). Colleges are responsible for keeping the students on their campus safe. The college has a legal obligation to keep the students safe. The student is going to school there, and the college needs to be responsible for the sexual assaults that happen on college campuses. According to The White House Task Force to protect Students from Sexual Assault “urges schools to show how serious they are about sexual assaults, the task force recommends that schools examine the prevalence and incidence of sexual assaults on campus, and to assess student’s perceptions of a university’s response to sexual assault” (Share, Rachel, and Scott Coffina). Colleges have an obligation to prevent the sexual assaults that happen on their campuses. It is on the college to examine the sexual assaults that happen on their campus, but it is the college’s responsibility to do something about the sexual assaults. Colleges are responsible for protecting students on college campuses from sexual
With one in five college students experiencing sexual assault during their college career who wouldn’t be afraid? This remains especially true for young women between the ages of 18-24 (“The Realities of Sexual Assault”). While a woman’s freshman and sophomore year of college are when she is at a most risk for assault, it can happen at any time. According to Robin Gray in the article on sexual assault statistics, “between 20% and 25% of women will experience a completed and/or attempted rape during their college career,” (Gray). At Northwest Missouri State University for the 2016-2017 academic year there are 5,618 undergraduate students enrolled. With the ratio of male to female students being 44% to 56%, there are about 3,147 female students. In terms of the statistics estimated by Gray, 630-787 of the female student population at Northwest Missouri State will experience rape during their college career (“Northwest Missouri State University”). This is a disturbingly large figure. Women are not the only ones susceptible to these acts, but men are too. It is said about “10%” of all sexual assault cases involve male victims (“The Realities of Sexual Assault”). While this number is slightly lower for men it is often believed that male victims of sexual assault do not often report their crime due to the social stigma surrounding their assault. Men may feel
Have you ever been encountered in a circumstance of being raped or knew an individual that was a victim of rape? Every one-hundred and seven seconds an American is sexually assaulted (RAINN). Rape has become a continuous problem causing controversy due to the way colleges cover up or simply hide incidents of rape throughout campus. More college students are also being raped by their own acquaintances rather than random strangers. Students, parents, and politicians question the way schools protect students and how their campuses can become more effective and efficient in preventing further occurrences of rape. Over the past years there has been a series of incidents where rape has been an extreme problem on college campuses in America that have been kept quiet until something traumatic happens. The prevalence of rapes on college campuses is continuing to rise due to lack of security, surveillance and awareness.
"Statistics about Sexual Assault and College Campuses." Statistics about Sexual Assault. Sarah Lawrence College, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. .
Sexual assault and rape on college campuses is a serious public issue. Before applying to these accredited institutions most students do not look up the school 's past records of sexual assault and rape on their campus.College campuses have failed to keep students safe the system they use has failed to protect and obtain justice for those that have been victims of sexual assault. Society plays a huge part in how young adults view sexual assault. From young age girls are told “if he’s bothering you it 's because he likes you”, and boys aren 't held accountable for their actions because “boys will be boys”. At what time does it stop being a game. At what age is it not acceptable for boys to mistreat girls, when is the line drawn and, what is the punishment for when this line is crossed.
Approximately 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted on campus. While colleges are cognizant of these high rates, they are often slow to deal with the aftermath of the attacks. Documentaries, such as It Happened Here (2014), highlight the prevalence rate of sexual assault as well as the mishandling of these cases by universities. It Happened Here (2014) uses anecdotes, interviews, and headlines to explain the ongoing double standards and rape culture that plagues numerous educational facilities. Although the film brings awareness to this issue, its only weakness is that it excludes a subgroup that could be affected by sexual assault.
According to a statement addressing the sexual victimization of college women The Crime and Victimization in America states that, “ One out of four women will be sexually assaulted on a college campus.” This disturbing fact has not minimized throughout the years, instead it is continuing to worsen throughout college campuses. Sexual assault is not an act to be taken lightly. Society must stop pinpointing the individuals who commit these crimes one by one, but rather look at the problem as a whole and begin to understand the main cause of sexual assault and possible methods to reduce these acts of sexual coercion.
About one in four women are victims of sexual assault in college, but there are ways to prevent this problem. The consequences of sexual assault are harmful and long-lasting and affect not only the victims but also their families and communities. Solutions to this problem _______. But, as Richard Edwards, chancellor of Rutgers-New Brunswick college said, “Regardless of the number, it’s a major problem, affecting our students and people all across the country and it has to be taken seriously” (5). If people work together, the steps can be taken to stop sexual assault in colleges.