Video Analysis: The Silencing Effect In College

The silencing effect is the act of suppressing knowledge that a rape on a college or university campus. This phenomenon intends to protect the university rather than supporting the victims of a sexual assault. Universities and colleges are intending to protect their collegiate brand so that rape statistics are low or are non-existent. The silencing effect is related to the profitability of universities because, in the eyes of potential applicants to the college, they see no negative accounts related to sexual assault. This of course would be pleasing to a student who is debating about applying to the university. Thus, the university will gain more applicants, which will increase the student population and gain more popularity over schools with a big rape rate. According to the video, rape occurs at every college, but forty-five percent of colleges have no records of rape. This is occurring because administrators and police are not doing enough to help the victim, but rather are saving the school’s name.
It made me angry that supporters for sexual assault victims got themselves terminated from some of the universities. I was stunned in the first minute of the movie when one of the victims reported that she and another student were assaulted their freshmen year before the classes even had started. I am glad though that this documentary shows the improper processes that victims had to go through when they reported the rapes. Rutgers makes me feel safe and supported if something tragic like this would have happened to me. I am dismayed that the administration of some universities blamed their victims or supported the rapists by saying, “he is going through a rough time” or “why didn’t you stop him?” I was also surprised by the statistics of reported cases that were never followed up or brought to justice and how much the universities protected the athlete