Intimate Relationship Violence
The Hunting Ground is a documentary film concerning the incidence of sexual assault on college campuses in the United States. The documentary is highly controversial because it highlights the failure of administrators across the nation to adequately deal with the epidemic of students’ sexual assault on collegiate campuses.
Students will select one of the following questions to answer.
- Discuss the significance of “male entitlement” as a major contributor to the sexual assaults committed by university athletes and fraternity members. Provide specific examples of male entitlement found in the film. Be sure to address the role of the university administrators in condoning the culture of male entitlement on their campuses.
- The film exposes a link between the profitability of universities and their willingness to protect student athletes from investigation or disciplinary action when they are accused of sexual assault. Do you think universities can prevent the conflict of interest that pits justice against financial gain in industries like sports and fraternities? How?
- The film reveals the innovative way in which two student survivors are using U.S. federal law to hold their universities accountable for investigating and adjudicating instances of sexual assault on campus. How else do students in the film hold their universities accountable? Which approaches felt most inspiring to you?
- Many survivors in the film were hesitant to tell their parents about their experiences—or have never told them. Why do you think that is? What conversations should parents have with their children about sexual assault? What responsibility do they have to ask questions about sexual assault when their children apply to college?