Sexual Violence and Rape Culture in Campus (Essay Sample)

Sexual Violence and Rape Culture in Campus
Author’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Instructor’s Name
Assignment Due
Sexual Violence and Rape Culture in Campus
Cases of rape and sexual assault in higher education facilities are growing higher by the day. Sexual assault is the process by which an individual purposely touches another person sexually without their consent. It also happens through coercion or physical aggression to engage in sexual activities with an individual contrary to their will. Sexual assault can occur through groping, rape, molestation, physical aggression, and harassment. This paper will analyze sexual assault and rape in universities and colleges across the United States, with reference to The Hunting Ground documentary.
In the documentary, several victims of rape tell their stories and their experiences in the pursuit of justice. (Dick, 2016). Most of these students do not report their sexual assault incidents as they are afraid of being judged. Also, when reporting to the campus authorities, there is a genuine fear of victim-blaming; they are usually questioned about their dress code, and whether they were intoxicated prior to being raped (Mengo, 2016).
Even after establishing the facts, the relevant authorities still fail to act, and in some institutions, victims are encouraged not to talk about their experiences (Dick, 2016). This is because most institutions are donor-funded, and if donors discover the sexual cases going on, they may withdraw their funding. A good example is Harvard University, the highest university to receive $350 million in donations. Between the year 2009 and 2013, the university reported 135 sexual assault cases but only 10 students were suspended. Most universities consider such cases as false claims. Statistically, the percentage of false sexual assault cases is below 8%; hence, most of the claims from victims are usually true. However, Title IX in the American constitution talks about the equality of all students in academic institutions. Rapists are considered to have violated the act and are subject to prosecution under federal law (Sekaran, 2017).
Concurring with the documentary, it has been observed that less than 8% of men in universities and colleges are responsible for 90% of the assaults reported. This is because each sexual predator assaults at least six victims. They select their victims ahead of time and focus those who are vulnerable. In such scenarios, alcohol is used to intoxicate their targets, and then isolate them from the public. What follows next is the rape and assault of the vulnerable females as they are not strong enough to resist their assailants. Approximately 88 percent of campus women do not report such incidents and are scared to talk to the authorities (Dick, 2016). This because, in most cases, no action would be taken, and that there is also the risk of victim-blaming. Most police officers suppress the reports mainly because the affected schools could lose their businesses, investors, and future students if such allegations are released to the public domain and confirmed to be true.
According to some sources, 13 percent of all campus students experience sexual assault through physical aggression or helplessness. Also, at least 1 in 5 female survivors has received help from a victim services agency. Studies also show that 23.1 percent of transgender and non-binary students have also experienced sexual assault. Only 20% of the female victims, who are between 18 and 24 years, report to law enforcement authorities. Likewise, there are high risks of students getting assaulted during their first months of the first and second semesters.
One of the few things that I have learned from the The Hunting Ground documentary is that most campuses and universities do not care about the safety of their students. Most reported cases are ignored, and no action is taken, enabling rapists to continue with their ill behavior knowing that there would be no consequences. Furthermore, such universities usually silence rape victims, and in some, they fire workers who stand against rape. Some campus boy-groups take pride in sexual assault and congratulate each other whenever they get sexually involved with females. Most of the sexual involvement is through assault, and afterwards, some take naked pictures of the girls they have slept with.
Additionally, less than 4 percent of male student-athletes commit 19 percent or more of the reported assault cases. Since student-athletes bring revenue to schools and stadiums, they rarely get indicted for sexual assault. Some athletes participate in their respective games and then afterwards, they get suspended or expelled from their universities due to sexual assault. On the other hand, the plight of the victims is usually ignored, as they are considered less valuable than athletes are to such institutions. Female victims who file reports of sexual assault by student-athletes at their campuses are often stalked by the athlete’s fan base and threatened. Some of the victims receive hate messages for speaking up and are branded as attention seekers. This leads most of the victims into depression, self-harm, and in some cases, suicide.
I was shocked to find out how ridiculous the punishments are in cases where rapists are found guilty. Some get warnings, others a one-day or full semester suspension, while some dedicate their time to community service (Dick, 2016). The punishments ought to be more severe to serve as a lesson to other rapists and assaulters. This could be achieved b