Sexual Assault on College Campuses

Sexual Assault on College Campuses Erdely's article explores the phenomena of campus rape through the case study of a young woman by the name of Jackie, who was allegedly gang raped in 2012. Although the focus of the article is definitely onJackie and her own particular situation -- its ramifications and effects on her own personal life -- this tale is viewed within the wider context of a disturbing pattern of assault, violence, and sexual misconduct conducted against women at the University of Virginia.

This particular educational institution is under federal investigation for the violation of women's rights related to numerous allegations of rape, sexual misconduct and violence. Erdely's article explores multiple allegations, as well as the overarching culture surrounding this university and this insidious pattern. One of the more revealing facets about the article is the implication that the University system -- and perhaps even that of the surrounding country -- is not only largely tacit about many of these affairs, but also complicit with them.

Erdely describes first hand how UVA utilized bureaucratic tactics and the proverbial yellow tape to impede her investigation of the aforementioned allegations. The author implies that those involved with what appears as a conspiracy include the university's president, select and eminent counselors, as well as various board of directors. The author suggests that the university has consistently attempted to downplay these allegations in order to receive a negative stigma about such misconduct -- which could sully its reputation and its pecuniary endeavors.

Perhaps the most ominous aspect of this article is the way it makes it seem as though sexual misconduct, misogyny, and mistreatment of female students are ingrained in the school's culture. This fact, and the fact that there are numerous instances of rape reported on college campuses across the country, is undisputed in this story -- and by the Washington Post's follow up, and by the retraction that Rolling Stone printed following the Washington Post's effort.

The fact that there is a federal investigation into this matter is also not in doubt. Thus, whatever details regarding the account of the woman in Erdely's piece that are in dispute do not change any of these facts -- nor the compelling evidence of the lyrics to one of UVA's longstanding songs that are filled with lewd misogyny and derogatory comments about women, mostly issued in the name of some perverted pleasure.

The piece issued by the Washington Post largely appears as some sort of cover-up or an attempt to discredit the young woman who was the focus of the Erdely's story. In doing so, the Post chooses to focus on details: some of which, for the most part, are inconsequential and do little to negate the culture of misogyny perpetuated by this educational institution or the nationwide (if not global) trend of violating and harming female college students.

For instance, one alleged "friend" of the woman allegedly raped now questions her entire story because Jackie supposedly changed her story from one five attackers to seven. Additionally, a source that refused to speak to Rolling Stone yet granted an interview to the Post claims that he did not see any signs of physical damage to her, and that he could not recall which fraternity house she said she was at when the attack supposedly happened.

Even the fact that the woman is perhaps wrong about the name of one of her attackers and the specific fraternity to which he belonged is severely mitigated by the fact that someone, regardless of his name, his fraternity, or the nature of the event during which the alleged attack occurred, perpetuated a very traumatic assault on this woman's life.

The Post is attempting to obscure or induce doubt about this fact, and in doing so appears to be 'fortuitously' working in concert with one of the most prestigious and longstanding fraternal organizations in the history of America's university system -- which is desperately trying to eschew blame for this one assault, while not acknowledging the destructive culture of which it is an integral part.

Perhaps the terms cover-up and damage control are somewhat colloquial in nature, but it does not take a formal academician to see that these terms apply to the Washington Post piece in relation to the interests of the fraternity alleged to have conducted the assault on the young woman. The ramifications of both of these articles, then, are myriad, and directly correlate to the phenomena of collegiate rape, the UVA community and assistance for victims and survivors of such a terrible, heinous crime.

They would seem to make it more essential for a young.