Recently, I found myself scrolling through Netflix looking for a documentary to watch. I started a few, but nothing was really catching my attention. After a few tries, I found: The Hunting Ground.
At first I thought, The Hunting Ground? Is it about hunting? War? Violence? Some sort of film about guns, maybe? I really wasn’t sure. But once I read the description, I knew I had to watch it. Not only does this documentary apply to my life, but it applies to all college student’s lives.
The Hunting Ground, directed by Kirby Dick, an American director and producer best known for his documentary films, aims to break the silence on college campuses and their handling of sexual assault cases.
The film meets two young women who have been assaulted, reported their assaults, and were ignored by their institutions or simply “brushed under the rug”. The documentary goes on to share their stories as well as thousands of others who have gotten in contact with them about sexual assaults on their college campuses.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in sixteen men are sexually assaulted while in college. An even more shocking statistic: Over 90% of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault.
Read that statistic again. Over 90% do not report their assaults.
Students are afraid to come forward and are skeptical that they will receive any help because so many cases have been found to have been “brushed under the rug”.
Institutions make it hard for students to report sexual assaults, therefore, less students come forward. This keeps the college out of the “sexual assault” spotlight, away from the public domain.
Another story from a Harvard law student explains an assault from someone she knew very well. She went to the Dean of Students, and the Dean told her “I just want to make sure above all else that you don’t talk to anyone about this. It could be bad for everyone if people started rallying around having him removed from campus”.
Professors and faculty from various institutions comment on the fact that sexual assaults generally happen with people you know. That nice guy in your math class. That girl you always see getting coffee at the same time everyday. Maybe someone you’ve known since the beginning of your freshman year.
The statistics, research, and reporting done in this documentary are powerful. I highly suggest all college students watch this film.
It displays these young women’s strength, hope, and determination to help other young women report their assaults and file claims against their institutions.
Guys and gals, it’s time to get on Netflix and learn something.
