Video Blog - Matthew and Jacob

1. I think that rape is very hard to create the needed empathy for because of how different the reality of most cases are compared to the general perception of it. Like the documentary said, when most people think of rape, they visualize a total stranger jumping out of nowhere, but often times it’s almost the complete opposite. Getting people to understand how traumatic it is to have someone you trusted and knew well sexually assault you, and that you have to deal with it your entire life, will definitely create more support toward victims. One way to do this could be to highlight the corruption in the processes afterwards. This includes the police, courts, and college boards that don’t take moral and legal responsibility in achieving justice.

2. Students Active For Ending Rape (SAFER) is a nonprofit organization that was started in 2000 by Columbia University students. Their main objective is strengthening student-led movements that fight against sexual and interpersonal violence on campuses across the country. SAFER is funded by donations. SAFER is generally positively portrayed by the media, because it works for social change through community mobilization. Their efforts don’t only help victims, but other groups that want to make changes as well.