The Problem of Sexual Assault on College Campuses - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2814 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2019/02/20 Category Law Essay Level High school Tags: Sexual Assault On College Campuses Essay Did you like this example? â€Å"These are the best four years of your life.† These are the words that ring in the ears of every student in the year leading up to college and throughout the entirety of the experience. However, for many young adults, college can be a time of vulnerability and paranoia in regards to their safety rather than an exciting new stage of life that is filled with independence and learning. In recent years, the topic of sexual assault on college campuses has become a more relevant issue in the eyes of the public, especially as new statistics and research emerge on the subject. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Problem of Sexual Assault on College Campuses" essay for you Create order Due to historical implications and common societal responses, sexual assaults on college campuses frequently go unreported, which largely benefits the attacker while simultaneously punishing the victim, and reinforces stereotypes held against minority groups, creating a vicious cycle of oppression. Historically speaking, rape was viewed as an â€Å"offense against the woman’s father or husband† rather than â€Å"an injury to her† (McGregor 3). Fathers were concerned about protecting their daughter’s chastity to ensure eligibility for marriage, and a woman’s husband needed to guarantee that any child his wife gave birth to was biologically his own (McGregor 3). The social and legal ramifications of this outlook gave the impression that raping a woman could be used as a weapon to wound the social standing of a man, rather than giving the impression that she was a person being physically and mentally harmed against her will. Due to this mindset, the well-being of a woman was not taken into consideration, causing a series of effects. Since the concern was keeping women pure and preventing the birth of an illegitimate child, other forms of sexual assault and violence were not seen as criminal acts. To this day, both society and the justice system have difficulty recognizing â€Å"non consensual sex without force† as a crime due to the fact that, legally, force is interpreted as â€Å"extreme physical force † (McGregor 4). This historical and modern view of sexual violence typically excludes cases of date or acquaintance rape, along with other instances of sexual violence, making it difficult to prosecute the attacker for their crime. Most cases of sexual assault and misconduct are seen as illegitimate and are easily dismissed as â€Å"boys will be boys†, an â€Å"exaggeration by the woman†, or something the victim was â€Å"asking for† (Schwartz et al. 20). Many believe that charges of sexual violence including date or acquaintance rape happen when a victim feels â€Å"guilty after a sexual encounter† and â€Å"cries ‘rape’ in order to ease [their] conscience† (Bohmer et al. 32). This mindset held by the public and the legal system maliciously undermines the victim’s reliability and creates a more difficult process in pursuing justice. The societal and legal response around rape and sexual assault has maintained the agenda of protecting everyone b ut the victim, making the process of reporting an act of sexual violence a daunting task. Many victims of rape or sexual assault do not report the crime due to the fear of damaging repercussions, leading to the misconception that the issue is not as common as it actually is, especially on college campuses. The reality of sexual assault on college campuses was never fully comprehended until the 1980s when social scientists collected data and realized that â€Å"sexual assault was far more prevalent than indicated in official government statistics† (Phillips 141,142). According to a study performed in 2015 at the University of Pennsylvania, 33.5% of female undergraduate students and 24.5% of male undergraduate students in the survey reported experiencing sexual harassment, stalking, sexual assault, or other misconduct (Cantor et al. 3, 4). In the same study, students who were victims of â€Å"penetrative acts involving force† were asked why the incident was not reported. The evidence showed that 35.6% of the victims were afraid of the â€Å"negative social consequences†, 34.4% were afraid of the emotional repercussions of reporting the incident, and 31.7% â€Å"did not think anything would be done about it† (Cantor et al. 18). These reasons for not reporting sexual assaults are all legitimate concerns that stem from how similar cases have previously been handled by the justice system. In many cases of sexual assault on campus, victims who decide to report the crime to campus authorities are manipulated into not pursuing legal or judicial authorities (Bohmer et. al 18). Additionally, many college campuses focus on the frequency of rapes that occur, which widely â€Å"overlooks the extent to which† victims are subject to â€Å"other forms of sexual victimization† (Phillips 154). College campuses will present statistics showing how rape rarely happens on their campus, but do not include other forms of sexual violence, once ag ain creating the facade that sexual victimization on campus is a rare occurrence. One of the most challenging issues that victims face through the legal process is proving their reliability and presenting their case in a way that will be interpreted as an act of sexual violence committed against them. In cases of rape and sexual assault, definitions vary between each state, however the three main elements necessary for a â€Å"successful prosecution† are â€Å"identification of the rapist, the use of threat or force, and penetration against the victim’s will and without [their] consent† (Gordon et al. 57). Many victims who decide to pursue legal action come under fire during the case due to how difficult it can be to prove all three aspects, and in most cases, the question of whether or not the crime is considered an act of sexual violence comes into play. The definition widely used by the judicial system tends to exclude other unwanted sexual acts or advances, making it more difficult for the victim to prove that the incident was a crime. Mos t victims are subject to â€Å"take a polygraph test† in order to prove the validity of the alleged sexual assault, however the same standard is not upheld for the attacker (Gordon et al. 57). Cases that do end up going to court usually are supported differently based on gender. Studies found that women are â€Å"generally more favorable to the victim† while men â€Å"react less favorably†, and in many cases of sexual violence, the law protects the attacker against the prosecution and rarely takes into account the perspective of the victim (Allison et. al 182; McGregor 27). Legally, the process of reporting sexual violence is unfavorable towards victims and does not create a sense of trust for the justice system. Not only are acts of sexual violence damaging to the victim and society, but they also reveal underlying prejudices that exist in terms of race. The preexisting racial prejudice in America makes most legal encounters for people of color more difficult than for white people, including cases of sexual violence. Studies and court cases have shown that â€Å"sex offenders are more likely to be white (as are their victims)† (Meloy et al. 88). However, according to an article written by â€Å"The Atlantic†, the issue of race regarding sexual assaults on campuses is â€Å"almost completely unacknowledged by the government† because the Office for Civil Rights does not require colleges to report the race of the victim and the attacker in â€Å"sexual-assault complaints† (Yoffe 3). Therefore, when a victim reports an issue to campus officials, but does not pursue legal action, there is no official data recorded on race, leaving the interpretation up to popular news outlets and viewpoints of the public. America’s history of racism typically portrayed â€Å"scandals in which black men are accused of sexually assaulting white women† contributing to the â€Å"general social disadvantage† for black men, making it easy for the judicious system and the public to â€Å"put the blame on them† (Halley 11,12). However, black men only represent â€Å"about 6 percent of college undergraduates† but are visibly â€Å"overrepresented† in cases that are consistently tracked (Yoffee 6). Minority groups on campus, especially men of color, deal with an overall â€Å"lack of resources† on college campuses that may â€Å"systematically disadvantage men of color in adjudication, whether or not the encounter was interracial† (Yoffe 8). However, this given information does not provide immunity to all men of color who are accused of committing an act of sexual violence. Sexual violence can happen within and between all different races, however, the evidence shows that there is a severe misconception of the number of colored men that allegedly commit sexual assault. The issue of sexual assault and race is complicatedly intertwined with class. As it is with the majority of crimes, there is an overall advantage given to more affluent people because of their ability to hire competent legal counsel. On college campuses, the people that generally fall into a higher social class status are white men, the group that commits the largest amount of sexual violence on college campuses. Therefore, the people who are committing the majority of these crimes are able to use their money to hire skilled defense attorneys for assistance, while minority groups may be forced to accept whatever defense attorney is provided for them. Additionally, investigations through universities typically take action in a swift manner when the accused is a minority, and many minority suspects are subject to â€Å"abrupt expulsions† without a sufficient amount of evidence to do so (Yoffe 9). The issues of race and class persist through sexual violence, and can be used to i ncriminate those who are innocent, harming the popular opinion of minority groups, while simultaneously stalling progress towards effective policy changes. Race and class are not the only political issues that complicate sexual violence cases. Gender plays a significant role in who is seen as a legitimate victim, along with who is likely to report incidents of sexual misconduct and violence committed against them. Most legal cases, studies, and sources focus on the victimization of women who have experienced sexual violence. Statistically speaking, women are the most targeted group for crimes of assault and rape, but they are not the only ones who are targeted. A significant number of gender and sexual minorities are subject to sexual assault, but are rarely seen as victims. In comparison to cisgender women, â€Å"cisgender men† are â€Å"less likely to report harassment† (Martin-Storey et al. 704). The tendency for cisgender men to avoid reporting harassment stems from societal misconceptions that any sexual acts performed on a man, no matter who it is performed by, were consensual. Additionally, coming forward as a victim of sexual violence is not perceived as â€Å"masculine†, which can create a sense of shame for the victims of unwanted sexual advances, eventually causing the victim to internalize the societal attitude and falsely accept that, on some level, he did want the encounter to take place. The â€Å"differential treatment† between genders creates a system that adequately protects male victims (McGregor 13). Studies have also shown that people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, commonly referred to as the LGBTQ community, are more likely to report unwanted sexual behaviors compared to their heterosexual and cisgendered counterparts (Martin-Storey et al. 704). However, these cases are rarely acknowledged publicly because of how great of a minority the LGBTQ community is. Similar to cisgender male victims, reports against these people are not taken seriously due to the fact that their sexual orientation or p reference is not heteronormative. Sexual assault is not an isolated feminine issue, however, due to historical implications and numerous forms of sexism and oppression, females are generally the only group that are classified as victims. The most notable policy change that has been made is the Title IX civil right law. The law states that â€Å"no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance† (US Department of Education). The Title IX Resource Guide provided by the US Department of Education clearly states that all â€Å"gender-based harassment† committed against students belonging to the LGBTQ community needs to be handled using the â€Å"same procedures and standards† that are used in â€Å"all complaints involving sex-based harassment† (16). While it is difficult to fully maintain and uphold the rules enforced by Title IX due to the interpretations of sexual harassment and previously mentioned historical and social implications, the law creates a sense of morale for people who have been battling the issues of sexual violence on college campuses for a long time. Title IX began to address sexual violence and harassment that occurred on campuses, but the use of the law has been â€Å"more powerful as a rhetorical tool than a legal remedy† in combating sexual violence (Phillips 148). Changes in political policy can be slow and difficult to enforce, but the social effects can be just as, or even more powerful, than the policy itself. In order to create reasonable change in a timely manner, revisions must be made in areas besides political policy. One possible change that can be made is by establishing universal terminology and definitions surround sexual violence. In many codes written by colleges, terms regarding sexual violence such as â€Å"sexual abuse, sexual assault, [and] acquaintance rape† are used without being defined (Bohmer et al. 185). By clearly defining the differences between different unwanted sexual behaviors, a more standardized process can be created, and victims may begin to have more confidence in the legal system. Another term that must be clearly defined is â€Å"consent†. In many legal cases, the question of whether or not the victim consented comes into play, but personal definitions may vary. For example, if a sexual harassment guideline states that sexual assault is forcing sexual acts on a person without their consent, a reader might believe that having sexual intercourse with someone passed out from intoxication is not sexual assault because the victim was unable to verbally reject (Bohmer et al. 186). The issue of consent is essential for standardizing legal cases and should be integrated into campus judicial systems during the process of determining guilt. Although there has been no statistical research done on the program due to how new the program is, implementing programs that begin in high school to create peer support could potentially bring down the number of sexual assault campuses on college campuses. Many men find it â€Å"uncomfortable† to talk to their male peers about â€Å"giving up power† and confronting them on their sexually inappropriate behavior (Schwartz et al. 165). However, programs such as Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) have dedicated resources to â€Å"facilitate discussions† about â€Å"relationships, drinking, sexual assault, and rape† as early as freshman year of high school (Starecheski 20). Students who have gone through the program and who have been surveyed reported that their attitude towards â€Å"sexual assault, and intervening in dangerous situations† has shifted, and the program has even helped guide students in real life scenarios of intervening in potential s exual violence attempts (Starcheski 26, 34). Creating similar programs and encouraging discussion on the difficult subject are simple ways that can help prevent painful and expensive ramifications down the road. Historical implications and common societal responses have frequently caused sexual assaults on college campuses to go unreported, and continues to reinforces stereotypes held against minority groups. However, successful efforts have been made to combat the daunting reality of sexual violence, and if these efforts continue to grow and influence more change, the number of people affected potentially could be reduced. College should be a time filled with fun memories, growth, and independence. In order to ensure an equal opportunity for each student, society and legal systems must continuously work together to protect each student from sexual violence, and give them the confidence that their voice will be heard. Works Cited Allison, Julie A., and Lawrence S. Wrightsman. Rape, the Misunderstood Crime. Sage Publications, 1993. Bohmer, Carol, and Andrea Parrot. Sexual Assault on Campus: the Problem and the Solution. Lexington Books, 1993. Cantor, David, et al. Report on the AAU Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct . Westat , 21 Sept. 2015. Gordon, Margaret T., and Stephanie Riger. The Female Fear. The Free Press, 1989. Halley, Janet. â€Å"Trading the Megaphone for the Gavel in Title IX Enforcement.† Harvard Law Review, 2015, harvardlawreview.org/2015/02/trading-the-megaphone-for-the-gavel-in-title-ix-enforcement-2/. Martin-Storey, Alexa, et al. â€Å"Sexual Violence on Campus: Differences Across Gender and Sexual Minority Status.† Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 62, no. 6, 2018, pp. 701–707., doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.12.013. Meloy, Michelle L., and Susan L. Miller. The Victimization of Women: Law, Policies, and Politics. Oxford University Press, 2011. McGregor, Joan. Is It Rape?: on Acquaintance Rape and Taking Womens Consent Seriously. Ashgate, 2005. Phillips, Nickie D. Beyond Blurred Lines: Rape Culture in Popular Media. Rowman Littlefield, 2017. Schwartz, Martin D., and Walter S. Dekeseredy. Sexual Assault on the College Campus: the Role of Male Peer Support. SAGE Publications, 1997. Starecheski, Laura. â€Å"The Power Of The Peer Group In Preventing Campus Rape.† NPR, NPR, 18 Aug. 2014, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/08/18/339593542/the-power-of-the-peer-group-in-preventing-campus-rape. â€Å"Title IX and Sex Discrimination.† Home, US Department of Education (ED), 25 Sept. 2018. US Department of Education â€Å"Title IX Resource Guide.† Title IX Resource Guide, Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse, 2015. Yoffe, Emily. â€Å"The Question of Race in Campus Sexual-Assault Cases.† The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 30 Oct. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/09/the-question-of-race-in-campus-sexual-assault-cases/539361/.

Essay on Native Americans vs the United States of America

Times were very hard for Native Americans during the mid to late 1800s. The reasons for their afflictions could only be blamed upon the United States of America. For thousands of years, Native Americans had roamed around the Americas. There had also been many tribes spread across the West that fought between each other in order to have their land.1 It wasn’t until after reconstruction in the United States, that the white Americans started having ordeals with the Native Americans. The main tribes involved in the conflict starting around 1850 were the Lakota people and the Sioux. The relationship between them can only be remembered for broken treaties and wars. It is true that these tribes had only mind there own business for many†¦show more content†¦It was then that in 1854, that the Senate made amendments to the Treaty of Laramie of 1851, that allowed the United States to build forts in the Territories among the Oregon Trail.1 The Indians would agree to sign it2 but the outcome would only be incompatibility. At around 1864, an Indian tribe known as the Sioux would attack these forts and start a two-year war with the United States.3 After the battle, in 1866, the council initiated Fort Laramie of 1868 that made peace with the Sioux and respected their land.4 From the first article of this treaty, the tribes would agree to â€Å"abstain in future from all hostilities whatever against each other.†5 The treaty would also make the Native Americans from the Sioux to recompense for any â€Å"wrongs† committed against citizens of the United States.6 The most important article was to respect and acknowledge each other’s territories. 7 In this case, they were to give the land of west Missouri and the Black Hills.8 If the Native Americans were to make any violations upon this Treaty, then the United States government would have to retain their promise to respect territories that belonged to the Indians. 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Battalion Commander free essay sample

I would be able to move the Jaguar Battalion to become a more productive and motivated set of cadets that we have seen since my freshman year in JROTC. I have numerous plans to achieve these goals and will more likely be able to acomplish them by doing the following; having company set goals, a fundraising chart to have an interactive view on which company is raising more money, fitness charts set around each JROTC room to show cadets proper movements on excercises, stretches, fitness goals and proper diets to help maintain and have a healthy body. I will also have Cadet Challenge requirement guidelines in each room to help cadets know what they need to achieve in order for them to recieve special awards or high scores on the Cadet Challenge when the date comes. These are just few of many ideas that I have to help and improve our Jaguar Battalion to become the best battalion we have ever seen in ELCHS. We will write a custom essay sample on Battalion Commander or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I should recieve this postion due to my high leadership skills, manager skills that I have learned while being employed, fast-paced thinking for certain situations and my ability to maintain proper patience and social communication skills to help with any situation that rises in the battalion. I am highly motivated and very determined in ELLA (East Lee Leadership Academy) and will have no problem to help motivate cadets to not only have proper skills needed for their high school year, but to also become open-minded and organized individuals. I have made many faults in JROTC and I am well aware of my decisions that I have made, but I have also learned from those mistakes and will only move forward to make sure that East Lee has a stable and enthusiastic leader to help lead cadets in the battalion. I was unsecure and was very reliant on others and their opinions, But I am now able to move pass those negative qualaties that held me back as a leader and will be able to move forward and lead without any quandry or other problematic situations that arose in previous years. I have also made a huge decision in the middle of my JROTC campaign that caused numerous problems with where I would be put in certain teams and events, But I promise you and will reassure you that all is well and I am now more self-reliant and conident and promise not to cause anymore problems with that situation. I have learned a lot through these passed years and Im glad to say that I will be able to lead anyone in the leadership academy to become motivated and receptive individuals. I hope you take this letter to consideration due to the time and effort I put into it and I promise I will be one of the best and hard-working Battalion Commanders that ELCHS has ever seen the passed years and will lead others for one day they might be the same.

Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis Essay Example

Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis Essay Joseph J Ellis’ Founding Brothers, explains how the United States and its founding fathers built the government and declared their independence. Throughout the book it shows how the founding fathers argued and had different opinions on several subjects. The main fathers were John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and several other important figures that helped piece together the United States government. Each chapter depicts how so many things sculpted our nation into the government we have today. Even though there were several founding fathers that helped, there were many disagreements and problems along the way. Ellis explains how the start of our nation took countless hours which needed patient minds and how everyone needed to be on the same page and work together in order for everything to work out. Joseph Ellis explains what exactly happened in the events that happened and what he thought about the outcome of each situation. The most enjoyable chapter in Founding Brothers was Chapter 1 or The Duel. This chapter was extremely interesting because it had to do with the fighting of two major politicians, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. The two fought in a one-on-one combat in which each person exchanges a pistol shot at ten paces or a code duello. These two were always rivals and therefore decided to duel. One of the stories of this situation is that Hamilton had fired at Burr first but had missed. Then Burr shot Hamilton and injured him with the bullet. Hamilton then said to his colleague, with his intention to never shoot at Burr at all. There are so many sides and versions to this story that historians may never find out the truth. The only known fact that this duel created was that Burr did kill Hamilton in this duel. We will write a custom essay sample on Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Joseph Ellis comments, â€Å"the central events of the achievements of the revolutionary era and the early republic were political.† This quote means that all the decisions were