Doc director explores how universities deal with campus sexual assaults

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'Sexual Assault Expected": that's the disturbing nickname for Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), one of the largest frats in America, and one with an increasingly tarnished reputation. The moniker – as well as an alternate, "Sexual Assault Experts" – is offered up sheepishly by students in filmmaker Kirby Dick's new documentary The Hunting Ground.

Nominated for Oscars for his two previous films about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church (Twist of Faith) and the U.S. military (The Invisible War) the director is now aiming his lens on rape at colleges and universities. It's a scathing indictment of how postsecondary institutions systematically cover up sexual assault cases to keep their brands squeaky clean.

Dick and producer Amy Ziering put forth that administrators don't view rape as a violent crime, but rather a PR problem for schools primarily interested in attracting applicants and donations (officials at Oklahoma University must be thrilled that SAE's reputation was further sullied after video emerged of local frat members belting out a racist chant this week).

It's an issue plaguing Canadian schools as well, with many universities lacking even basic sexual assault policies. Last week, the Ontario government took one small step: Under Premier Kathleen Wynne's new action plan to combat sexual violence, universities and colleges will be required to publish statistics of rape on campus beginning this fall. Schools must also establish sexual assault policies with clear complaint protocols, developed with input from students.

Slowly, North American lawmakers seems to be acknowledging a pervasive rape culture on campuses, where victims are routinely disbelieved and perpetrators still often get a slap on the wrist: The Hunting Ground highlights some outrageous punishments, including a $25 fine for rape and an expulsion instituted uselessly after the rapist graduated.

The Globe spoke with Kirby Dick about better solutions, frats, as well as the growing student-led movement forcing administrators to stop looking away.

Your film makes clear that first-year university students are still very much kids. They squeal with mom and dad when they get their admission letters. And when they're victimized, these young women are left advocating for themselves because the grown-ups on campus aren't interested.

It's a stain on both our countries. We follow two students who are part of a group of advocates who have taken on very powerful institutions and in so doing changed the national debate. That is something we should celebrate. But we should also realize that it really shouldn't be up to students to provide a safe campus.

Why was it important for you to expose schools keeping their rape statistics artificially low?

They have made the choice to protect their reputation instead of being concerned about the health and safety of their students. They're concerned that if they actually do inform parents about the problem on their campuses that the amount of applicants and donations will go down.

What about the role of frats?

Every time you go on a campus with a major Greek life, you're pretty much guaranteed that there are one, two or three fraternity houses that are known to have a rape problem.

You can find this out very quickly: a half-hour on campus just asking students, they'll tell you.

If the students know where the bad houses are, many people in the administration know it. Yet in so many places they're not doing anything. We call upon these colleges and universities to expose where the dangerous houses are, to kick those houses off of campus so that students can be safer.

Most fraternity men are horrified by this, they would never commit a sexual assault. Which is all the more reason why this problem can be solved if the schools put money into addressing it. It's not like it's a problem with all men: It's a small number of men.

If, as psychologist David Lisak has found, a small number of serial predators commit most attacks, what's the use of 'healthy masculinity workshops' that predators won't ever attend?

You're probably not going to change the predator's attitude. You might be able to if these programs were instigated in elementary, junior and high schools. But by helping to change the attitudes of men, when there is a sexual assault, men will not immediately assume that the survivor is lying.

Or if they see a potential sexual assault beginning to take place, there are moments when they can intervene. Once men are more educated and understanding of this whole issue, it will make it more difficult for predators to operate.

Are universities equipped to investigate serious criminal wrongdoing?

The university has a responsibility to students and also a legal responsibility to keep its campus safe. It's not a criminal justice system, it can't put people in prison, but what it can do is investigate and adjudicate these crimes and when it finds somebody responsible it can expel them.

What it needs to do is to treat this issue as a top priority and back it with money so that when a report is made, there's a set due process in place to determine the truth of it, which in most cases, is true. The benefit of this would also be for the rare number of cases where men are falsely accused. To have a robust system in place would also protect them. This is good for the entire population.

Does a focus on middle-class students obscure that poorer women face systematic sexual assault?

This is an issue that cuts across all socioeconomic groups. Some of the most vulnerable are immigrant students. They feel they absolutely can't report or it might affect their status in the U.S., or even the status of their parents. People who are on scholarship are also vulnerable because the school has a very easy method of reprisal.

Do you think your film does a good enough job of conveying the trauma of rape? Of how you go from being an A+ student to unable to leave your dorm to dropping out?

Over and over again you hear this: 'Being assaulted is a horrible experience but why don't they just get over it?'

It's more likely that a woman will drop out of school because of her assault than a man will be expelled. In the military, there is equal to higher prevalence of PTSD among women assaulted in comparison to men in battle. It's a very profound experience. That's why the term survivor is used – because it's something that they live with for the rest of their lives.

We've got women like "Princeton Mom" and Slate's Emily Yoffe telling younger women to check their own alcohol consumption and be more accountable for their own safety. Why is it so un-PC to ask women to look out for themselves and for each other on campus?

Encouraging people to be safe is important in any situation but the responsibility should be put on the perpetrator. These are sexual assaults committed again and again by serial offenders. It's the responsibility of the school and of society to make those campuses safe.

What about gun lobbyists and their bright idea to equip college girls with firepower?

We support legislators discussing this issue but arming students is not the way to go. Unfortunately it indicates an ignorance about the problem. To begin with, a large percentage of people who are assaulted are intoxicated. Nobody wants anyone trying to use a gun if they've been drinking. People also often know their assailant – they're very unlikely to use a gun. The assailant could take it and use it to commit the rape even more easily. You're aiding perpetrators and making it dangerous for all students.

Why The Hunting Ground as a title?

Because what we're dealing with here are repeat offenders. The term "date rape" – because most of these assaults happen among people who are at least acquaintances – in fact a better term is "target rape." Repeat offenders pick their victim, oftentimes get them intoxicated, assault them in a place where no one can witness it. They're often more entitled, esteemed students on campus and so they're in a position to just deny it happened – to say that the woman who is coming forward is really just talking about "regret sex." We're not dealing with regret sex here. Only 2 to 8 per cent of reports of sexual assaults are false. The vast majority are true. Keep in mind that all men who are accused of sexual assault claim innocence, claim they were falsely accused.

What's the takeaway for parents?

If you're a parent of a child in college or of a child considering going to school, you really should see this film because the colleges right now are not putting out this information.

Won't parents just get freaked out?

It's better that they're aware there's a problem than that it's denied. We obviously want people to go to school. It's about making campuses safe.

This interview has been condensed and edited.