The Hunting Ground Documentary
Ariel Lopez
Thesis
Sexual assault cases in campuses are left avoided by college administrators and The Hunting Ground documentary achieves exposing there actions through interviews with victims and pathos, ethos, and inclusion of statistics are all effective elements.
Purpose
Rape cases in college campuses are serious crimes that are committed multiple times throughout school years to many men and women. However, there severity is averted by high ranking college officials as a way to prevent there schools from receiving bad press and possibly ruining the reputation of the school. The Hunting Ground documents the stories of many victims and goes through the campaign of two young women, also victims, travelling throughout the country visiting college campuses and speaking to victims of sexual assault.
Pathos
Pathos is used as a way to persuade the audience by appealing through their emotions. The use of sad music, women crying, and stories of suicides all are all examples of the documentary appealing to the audience through pathos and trying to make them sad. When viewing the documentary, I felt sorrow and empathy for the victims.
Ethos
Ethos convinces the audience by providing evidence that the speaker is trustworthy and credible. Victims of sexual assault providing their stories, administrators and former associates of colleges discussing rape, and authors and experts of sexual assault discussing their viewpoints of college campus rapes are all examples of the use of ethos and the documentary trying to provide conceivable evidence to the viewers. Seeing victims and experts being interviewed allowed to have a sense of credibility in the seriousness of campus rape.
Inclusion of Statistics
Inclusion of statistics allowed the audience to view factual, credible evidence of sexual assault on college campuses. The Hunting Ground tries to use statistics to create awareness for the overwhelming numbers concerning sexual assault in colleges. According to the documentary, 16% of women are raped or sexually assaulted while in college, 88% of victims don't report sexual assault, and less than 8% of men in college commit more than 90% of sexual assaults in college. Seeing staggering statistics like these made me realize the great concern sexual assault should have throughout all college campuses.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this documentary proved useful in exposing college censorship of victims of sexual assault through the use of pathos, ethos, and inclusion of statistics. Viewing The Hunting Ground made me realize the little attention colleges gave to victims of rape or other sexual assaults. I now view sexual assault as a major issue that many young women on college campuses confront, and the importance of ending it.