As a student athlete on the UVA Wise campus, I am mandated to attend at least one presentation regarding a nation-wide concern. This semester's film happened to be "The Hunting Ground," a Sundance Film that was not released to the general public. "The Hunting Ground" is a documentary in which women and men recount on their sexual assault experiences during college and the lack of help they received from the colleges and universities.
The message was powerful, and it was very enlightening to the situation at hand, however, I feel like the film lacked in convincing people who attempt to blame the victim for the sexual assault to believe that it was the predator's fault.
Before I divulge, I think that sexual assault is terrible crime, and I do not feel that this crime can be justified by any means. I understand that this is a serious issue, and too many people are dealing with or trying to overcome sexual assault incidents. This article is a mere reflection on the film itself.
Now to divulge in the non-persuasive aspects of the film. Almost every woman's story started off with "We were drinking..." or "We were at a party..." Looking from the opposite perspective, it is easy to point the finger at the woman herself; she intentionally subjugated herself to alcohol and the impediments that alcohol has on some people's decision making abilities.
She knew that she was at risk the moment she decided to go to a party, and she knew that she wanted to let go to have a good time. The end results are just not what she expected. The film lacks a strong defensive take against victim blaming. Not every rape occurs at a party, nor does it necessarily concern alcohol.
Extending this point, the film turned the attention to the male student body. It seemed to almost point fingers at fraternity brothers and male athletes. In most of the stores told, the female was sexually assaulted at a frat party or by a student athlete. That puts a terrible stereotype on fraternities and athletics. The film supports the argument against itself. The colleges and universities defend the men in fraternities and athletics to uphold a name for the college. Athletics bring in a large number of students and supports to the college, and fraternities benefit the college and the student body. To accuse the lot as whole is oppressive. One male from either of the accused organizations that commits the heinous crime does not reflect the whole organization. I just felt the film was unfair to the male student body.
Lastly, the film oppressed some of the top colleges and universities in the country. It subjugated the institutions for trying to uphold a respectable name. Yes, most of the cases that the film showed did not give the judgement that should have been decided, but the film accused most, if not all, colleges and universities to lack care about sexual assault cases. Some of the colleges mentioned in the film handled the sexual assault cases very poorly; the evidence would be there to support the woman's claim, yet the college would seek no punishment for the assaulter.
I do not know how any person could live knowing that they help to torment a person's life by subjugating them to look into the eyes of their assaulter every single day on campus. However, not every campus is going to take an oppressive stance on the situation. I believe that at the campus of UVA Wise, sexual assault cases would be dealt with properly, if they were to arise. I feel safe about how my campus would treat these types of cases.
After watching the long two hours of a film that brings a very powerful message into perspective, I can see how this is a national issue. Many women feel that they would be oppressed by the college and never report a sexual assault, and the issue extends to men as well. The poor victims in sexual assault cases get blamed most of the time, but I feel that as the issue becomes more widely known, change will occur.
Steps will be taken to seek justice for those who have been assaulted, and those who are guilty will receive the proper punishment. Those who commit the crime will no longer be able to have the chance to become repeat offenders. Sexual assault is a serious issue, and no one should have to feel that they are alone in the fight to stop the crimes from happening. There are those who will listen and believe, and change is hastily approaching.
