Families of SOs Community Group
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Documentary or propaganda? The film "The Hunting Ground" is considered a contender for an Academy Award, and is also drawing some criticism.
http://www.thehuntinggroundfilm.com/
http://www.npr.org/2015/12/03/458031996/acclaimed-documentary-about-campus-rape-draws-critics-too
http://www.thehuntinggroundfilm.com/
http://www.npr.org/2015/12/03/458031996/acclaimed-documentary-about-campus-rape-draws-critics-too
I believe that the draconian "punishments" currently meted out in the courts to "rapists" and the treatment youngsters receive in prison are a major factor causing colleges (and families) to continue a culture of silence while minimizing and ignoring the prevalence of rape on campus and"not seeing" sexual assault even child sexual abuse in our own families.
I believe that's why, as a society, we warn almost exclusively against Stranger Danger (Hannibal Lector type serial bad guys lurking in parking lots, the "rapists" projected on movie screens) but choose to silence and ignore "acquaintance rape" and minimize the extent (93%) of child sexual abuse inflicted by trusted family members, all of whom need silence to continue taking advantage of "acquaintances" whether on campus/ schools/ or families. In this case, The Hunting Ground dares to "broach the subject" of campus rape committed by young males from "good families" where "nice boys" are treated with kid gloves because people believe that the harm that will be done to the rapist through public exposure is greater than the harm done to the victim who was raped. Old blame the victims sayings attest to a culture of blaming the victim who dares complain (or get pregnant) "She led him on." She wanted it" She's not a virgin anyway" People even went so far as to say " if a girl lived through a rape that was proof it wasn't really rape, or she would have fought harder etc..." Shot gun weddings often followed acquaintance rape if the girls family was powerful enough to force the guy to "make and honest woman of her"
As a child I was "sexually victimized" then Silenced within my own family, Colleges have long continue the family tradition of Silencing the victim while glossing over harm done by "respectable males" from "good families" " Romeo and Juliette "situations" where young males are protected because, they say, they have their whole futures ahead of them" and of course they do as does the girl left to deal with it all in silence? . , Establishing a more even balanced justice for both? We don't have to make this an either or situation. We need to Stop sexual abuse not perpetuate the fear and harm and Silence that ruins futures on both sides. Whether we agree or disagree with filmmakers point of view in The Hunting Ground the film speaks out about a long over due topic.
Continued Silence only extends sexual assault and extends the cycle of abuse and fear harms into the next generations beyond our own. At least those of us with "personal knowledge of bothe sides of this issue" need to speak out. We have valuable view-points to offer. There are others coming up who need to be protected from a failed and silenced system.