The 88th Annual Academy Awards took place just last week and Lady Gaga’s performance garnered an incredible amount of attention. She performed her song, Till It Happens to You tackling the issue of sexual assault, and had many sexual assault survivors joined her on stage. Gaga has revealed she is a survivor of sexual assault, and wrote the song based on her own experience.
Her song was originally written in conjunction with the documentary The Hunting Ground, a harrowing film uncovering the realities of sexual assault on college and university campuses across the United States. The film follows several women and men who have been the victims of sexual assault, and their struggles in reporting to their respective universities.
While the reality of sexual assault is no secret, I was particularly shocked to learn of the lengths American universities will go in order to protect their financial interests. As financial institutions, the campuses’ main priority is maintaining a level of standing, and ensuring alumni donations, rather than ensuring the safety of their students. This idea is particularly common amongst student athletes, and those involved in Greek life. Is this to say all student athletes and frat boys are rapists? Of course not. However, these students provide great monetary gain for schools, and statistically any scandals are quickly covered up in order to maintain the school’s reputation.
The documentary unveiled some important statistics. It is important to recognize that out of the majority of students, there are very few rapists among them. However, due to universities financial interests, few are convicted. That results in many rapists re-offending. Therefore, a handful of people make the majority of statistics.
While university campuses sweep the majority of cases under the rug, countless women and men are forced to give up their education in order to feel safe. University staff and policies were quick to blame victims: asking them if they were drinking, and what they were wearing. Many claimed the victims were making false accusations – however, the reality is that false allegations of sexual assault are made at the same frequency as any other crime; robbery, battery, etc.
Several staff members who began advocating for students were swiftly terminated, or demoted – although the universities claimed no correlation between their advocacy for victims, and their subsequent termination.
In one case, police avoided making charges and carrying through the investigation of a town’s star football player, and warned the victim she should “not do anything she might regret, as this is a football town.”
The subjects of the film did an immense amount of research, and have now successfully requested the official investigation of hundreds of universities across the United States – including many of the Ivy Leagues.
I was comforted to find in my own research, that local campuses have several resources for students who may be victim to sexual assault, however I could not help but notice the subtle cultural similarities that exist in both America and Canada.
There are countless stories of victims being subject to shame, blame and accusations of false reporting. Ultimately, sexual assault is an issue in which we need to place more urgency and awareness.
Jennifer Hamilton is a local student and writer.
