CULTURE
CULTURE The hunting ground by Layla Homewood Illustration by Olivia Rossi Content Warning: This article contains discussions about sexual assault and rape Sexual assault happens. On the street, in bars, in homes and for a lot of young people, it happens at their university. The Hunting Ground is a 2015 documentary which focuses on sexual assault and rape on American college campuses. Following numerous men and women who claim to have been assaulted on their college campus, The Hunting Ground has a central focus on the lack of support that college administrators provide during the traumatic experience and the arduous challenges these victims face from other students and, in particular, the university faculty. The film provides a great insight into how American systems deal with sexual assault, and raises issues that the students who are attacked face when coming forward about the assault. While there is a vast difference between America and Australia in regards to culture and the structure of tertiary institutions, the issues raised by the documentary remain prevalent in both societies. The Hunting Ground raises many key focal points and issues surrounding sexual assault with college students and it is clear that in the case of American colleges, where the documentary obtained its statistics and participants, the college's image was more important to them than the justice system. The Hunting Ground tears apart the colleges' process (or lack thereof) with reporting incidents of sexual assault, and shames institutions that actively prevent victims from prosecuting their attackers for fear of tarnishing the college's name. It was found that in some colleges when a victim searched how to seek help and guidance after a sexual assault, the college website and other information providers only offered support and advice in the case of being falsely accused of a sexual attack. The college deliberately made it difficult for the victims to access a support network and report the incident, all the while spending their time and resources helping those who were accused of being an attacker whether this accusation be true or false. Of course, it's not only in America that we can see sexual assault claims being silenced. An Australian survey in 2015, Talk About It, asked over 1300 participants about their sexual assault experiences and how their university and police departments processed their claim and supported them through the ordeal. While many respondents were pleased with their university's support network, the overwhelming majority were disappointed in the institutions which are meant to help them through such a hardship. Both the universities and police departments have failed to help the victims and achieve an appropriate outcome, and are guilty of victim blaming with a NSW student being "told I was simply drunk and it [the attack] wasn't worth investigating". A number of comments focus on the victim's feeling of uselessness and frustration in their inability to reach justice. A respondent in Sydney said, "I know that my rapist has since become a member of staff but I can't do anything about it" and the majority of cases in The Hunting Ground have a similar result with the attacker remaining free on campus. But aren’t things different here? Of course Monash says that it listens to all students equally and handles sexual assault claims with the utmost care, protecting anyone who is a victim of the horrible crime. Sadly though, I’ve discovered that Monash, like every other university, is predominantly concerned with itself. After speaking with a number of Monash students about their own experiences, every report made the same claim that our university swept the assault under the rug, and made little or no attempt to support the victim. One student was followed back to the Halls of Residence late in the evening following a night out. The man who was walking ahead of the victim repeatedly checked behind him to make sure she was still there and alone. She crossed the road several times, actions which the man mirrored, before calling campus security and hiding from the predator in a nearby car park. Security acted quickly to her distress call and, even though they did not catch the man accused of following the victim, clearly acted under a fine protocol. However, the issue lies with the members of residential staff and their inaction regarding the near assault. The victim noted that "there is evidently an underlying problem with the attitudes towards it [sexual assault] present in major figures in the uni" after she was accused of having had too much to drink, and told that she shouldn't have been alone in the first place by a senior member of the staff at her residence. Do we still need to be fearful at night? Do we still need to walk around like we're five year olds with a buddy system in school? Make sure you hold your buddy's hand! Don't let them wander off alone! I was once confronted by security while walking home in the dark being told, "It's pretty dangerous around here; you shouldn't be walking by yourself." "No, Mr Security Guard, there shouldn't be rapists out on the street." Lot’s <strong>Wife</strong> | 43