I was on YouTube as usual, scrolling through my subscriptions. I came across a video by one of my favorite YouTubers, Meghan Hughes. It was one of her 'big sister advice' videos that she uploads once in a while. I clicked on it, not knowing that it would leave me with tears in my eyes.
Consent and sexual assault have been major topics of controversy in the news lately, especially following the Stanford rape case that left many of us unsatisfied and also to question the whole 'justice' system's treatment of victims in the cases.
In the video that I had watched, Meghan talks about the issue that surrounds consent and the misconceptions that many people have about it (especially sexual predators). Sexual assault is an even bigger problem on college campuses, where most reported cases go unresolved or ignored. This issue is discussed in depth in the documentary, The Hunting Ground, a film about the way many colleges go about dealing (or NOT dealing) with sexual assault and rape on their campuses. I decided to watch the documentary after some friends recommended that I saw it.
Never have I felt so compelled, so angry, so afraid. I couldn't describe the emotions I felt from watching interview after interview of sexual assault and rape survivors, many of whom were in tears while recounting their experiences. The film also included many chilling statistics: One saying that one in five women are sexually assaulted in college, another saying that in just this upcoming school year, 100,000 students will be sexually assaulted. I got goosebumps; I was absolutely appalled.
How is humanity letting this happen? Why are college campuses turning into "hunting grounds" for sexual predators? And most importantly, why is justice not being served to those who need it, especially by college administration?
As a female college student, I was not only terrified for my own well-being but also for the safety of my friends who currently attend major universities. Throughout the film, it was especially hard to believe that many of these cases were occurring at extremely prestigious institutions; ones that would seem safe and protected. It almost seemed as if the more prestigious the school, the more it action it takes to hide its statistics on sexual assaults from prospective students and promotional pamphlets. Well, clearly that method worked (on me, at least) because I had no knowledge of the frequency of this issue. Seeing this documentary as well as reading up on the topic definitely opened my eyes up to how many people are actually affected by sexual assault. And if we don't do anything about it, the numbers will not change.
If you're not up to date with the issue of sexual assault and rape on college campuses, I highly recommend watching The Hunting Ground (it's on Netflix too!). I also suggest you read this compelling letter that Stanford sexual assault survivor wrote to her attacker.
