Sexual assault is an epidemic across all college campuses nationwide. In lieu of it being sexual assault awareness month, I thought I would share a quick review of an insightful documentary that has captured the severe reality of sexual assault in a college environment.
I first watched The Hunting Ground when I was a senior in high school. My mother and I watched it together, as several teachers of mine were recommending it to students, and a student even did their senior project on it.
The Hunting Ground, released in 2015, is a two-time Emmy Award winning documentary with “terrifyingly true” (Newsweekly) statistics and stories. The expose opens with a compilation of videos that display students’ reactions to being accepted to the school of their dreams. The expressions of joy that can be seen in these clips are priceless.
Fast forward to the core of the documentary where viewers can hear and see the brutal scars that being sexually assaulted leaves on these incoming freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The horrified looks, the fear and frustration from the lack of response from various universities post-sexual assault on these students’ faces – unforgettable.
Many schools avoid providing information about cases and reports pertaining to sexual assault on their campus to prevent the deterioration of application numbers or donations from alumni. The documentary covers a wide range of cases from being assaulted by strangers, to best friends, to student athletes and how the university decides to take action.
The sad reality behind the expose is that many of the cases we see in the film, the university fails to respond, ultimately violating Title IX. The rest of the documentary follows survivors Andrea Pino, Annie Clark, Claire Potter, Melinda Manning, and Kimberly Theidon on their journey to spread awareness and provide resources for victims who come forward wanting to fight against the injustice that has been done to them.
Gonzaga University provides resources and support for students who have fallen victim to this epidemic online. Here you can find sexual assault report forms, information about health and counseling, Title IX, and more. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please do not hesitate to reach out and get help.
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