Sexual Assaults in Universities Essay Example

mentioned in the interview, she was a talented young lady who inherited her father's basketball skills. Her exceptional three-point shooting made her well-known among her peers and even attracted fans from all over the United States, as Couric mentions. Because of her talent, she caught the attention of sponsors and prestigious basketball universities known for their playoffs. Brennan had a passion for the game, even without her father's knowledge as he was involved in the NCAA. She participated in various tournaments before being offered the opportunity to join the University of Pacific (Germaine, 2016).

With a student population of over 3,000 undergraduates, the university boasted a division one men's team while the women's team was rapidly gaining recognition. However, her time at the school took a terrifying turn shortly after attending a party held by her fellow teammates at the renowned 'Townhouse'.

She confessed to consuming six shots of vodka that night and later realized she had no way of getting back to her hostel room (Krauker, 2015). Fortunately or unfortunately, she encountered two men who offered her transportation and she did not suspect any ill intentions from them. To her absolute shock the next morning, she woke up in an empty room after being sexually assaulted, with a recorded video of the heinous act circulated among fellow students. Her friends took the recording and presented it to the administration out of anger for her lack of farewell after completing her final exams. Nonetheless, her assistant coach contacted her at home.

Case 2: University of Notre Dame

Similarly this case involved a sportsman, though a perpetrator and showed how universities are weak in dealing with sexual assault cases. In

"Ex-Notre Dame player's reopen wound" article by Todd and Rich Campbell, they also mention another high profile case involving renowned footballer who assaulted a freshman Elizabeth Seeberg. On Sep 10th 2010, US woke to the news of the death of Elizabeth who committed suicide from a drug overdose. Earlier records showed that she had filed a complaint against a male student who had her into sexual contact (Fisher and S 2011). However investigations by the police about the suicide and sexual assault proved again fruitless just because it involved a famous footballer. The footballer was never made public and despite her numerous efforts to engage the school in any way, all this was fruitless.

She died 9 days later from an overdose of antidepressant drugs. Notre Dame University made a deliberate effort to hide this incident and they succeeded. The people who told the truth had conflicting accounts of what happened. As a result, the issue remained unresolved and the victim never received any justice. Notre Dame is notorious for its sexual assault cases, especially when it comes to protecting its famous football players.

Case 3: University of Montana

Another case involves the University of Montana where the US Department of Justice launched an investigation into multiple reported rape incidents.

On May 2, 2012, the US Justice Department initiated an investigation to uncover how the school and local officials mishandled the sex assault cases, which were documented by Moni Basu and Lateef Mugging. This case study sparked immense public concern and inquiry into the escalating incidents of rape (Krauker, 2016). Consequently, Missoula gained a reputation as America's Rape Capital. One notable instance involved Kelsey Belknap, who fell victim to

gang rape in 2010. Further investigations revealed that these rape cases involved high-profile football players as well. Notably, Kelsey's assault occurred during a celebration of her completion of final exams at a party held in an off-campus apartment.

A woman, wearing jeans and a jacket, consumed 11 shots in one hour during the evening. Surprisingly, she ended up with a group of football players. Seeking medical assistance at the hospital, she eventually reported the incident to the police. According to Germain (2016), the police attributed her situation to excessive drinking.

Despite her outcry for help from the school following the failure of the judicial system, the case was closed without charges after a brief investigation. Only one football player from the school was expelled. Another case involved Huguet, who was raped by her childhood friend and later pressed charges. According to a CNN article, there have been over 80 cases of mishandled rape incidents on this campus, mostly involving high-profile football players and other university students assaulting their peers.

The prevalence of sexual assaults in universities exposes the various inadequate approaches, both constitutional and administrative, implemented to prevent and handle these incidents (Krakauer, 2016). The internal disciplinary panels within schools, judicial review boards, university police departments, as well as state and national law enforcement agencies have all demonstrated their failure in effectively addressing such cases. An absence of adherence to constitutional laws by the police is especially evident when dealing with prominent athletes, leading to a degradation of the judicial system's integrity and an unjust treatment of the victims.

It is important to mention that instances of rape frequently involve excessive drinking, especially among underage individuals, as well as

partying, illegal drug use, ethnic hostility, and other antisocial behaviors. Universities have the power to prevent these situations. These rape cases carry serious repercussions, potentially endangering lives. The psychological toll of rape, particularly when committed by someone familiar to the victim, is substantial. Regrettably, numerous universities lack proactive approaches and instead depend on punitive measures.

Despite the prevalence of the vice, universities like Indiana University in Pennsylvania have implemented measures to combat it (Germaine,2016). The administration has shown responsiveness to women groups, and the students themselves actively participate in preventive activities.

Student leaders are collaborating with student groups and the administration to address the issue of campus sexual assault. The establishment of a Women’s Centre at Indiana University has been particularly effective in this effort. These steps taken by Indiana University serve as an example for other universities, demonstrating that they have the ability, resources, administration, and personnel to combat this problem.

References

1. Germain, L. J. (2016). Campus sexual assault: College women respond.
2. Krakauer, J. (2016). Missoula: Rape and the justice system in a college town
3. Fisher, B. S., & Sloan, J. J. (2007). Campus Crime: Legal, Social, and Policy Perspectives. Springfield: Charles C Thomas Publisher, LTD.
4. Krakauer, J.

(2015). Missoula. lkins, J. (2011). Date rape. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree Pub.