WRDI Watch

Over the weekend, I watched The Hunting Ground, the 2015 documentary about sexual assault on college campuses and the institutions that too often fail the students who report it.

Ten years later, it was hard to watch. Not because the film felt dated. Because so much of it didn’t.

Last week, Lisa and I spoke with several of WRDI’s interns, most of whom are currently on college campuses. I asked what women’s rights issues people their age were talking about.

They immediately brought up Cornell.

The allegations there have renewed questions about how colleges, law enforcement and the legal system respond when a student reports sexual assault. They also sent me back to a report Cornell released earlier this year on preventing sexual violence on campus.

Some of the report's recommendations address a very real problem: making sure students know where to turn, what resources are available, and what happens if they report an assault. Others focus on education, prevention, and support.

Those things matter. But as I read it, I kept coming back to what felt less prominent: accountability for the person who causes the harm.

This week, we’re looking at the systems meant to protect women when violence occurs — on campus, under Title IX, and in their own homes — and what happens when those protections are put to the test.

Because prevention and support matter. But so does accountability.

— Julie

In Brief

When violence occurs, women may find themselves navigating several systems at once: a school or university, law enforcement, the courts, or state laws designed to provide protection.

But a system can only help if people know it exists and understand how to use it. That means knowing where to turn, whom to contact, what options are available, and what may happen next.