Documentary sheds light on campus rape

“The Hunting Ground” was made to provoke discussion of rape on college campuses.

Kirby Dick, an Academy Award-nominated and two-time Emmy Award-winning documentary film director, made this movie to explore a culture he believes makes it difficult for victims of rape on college to get a fair vetting.

Many victims don’t file even charges, for fear of retaliation. The movie also looks at colleges that did a poor job of following through with victims.

More often than not, victims will turn to a friend or a trusted faculty member first. Here are four steps you can take if someone you know confides that he or she has been sexually assaulted on a campus.

1. Believe them: The most simple but overlooked thing one can do is to believe the survivor confiding in you. Validate their situation.

2. Provide resources: Locally, visit the webpage of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, www.sccadvasa.org

3. Empower them: Let your friend know they are in complete control over any next steps. How they proceed is entirely up to them.

4. Accompany them: Offer to go with your friend or give them a ride.

The final screening of “The Hunting Ground” is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, at the Nickelodeon theatre. For tickets, visit www.nickelodeon.org

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Documentary sheds light on campus rape."