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Last spring, emails written by members of American University’s Epsilon Iota fraternity were leaked, revealing to a horrified public the strategies — from manipulation to outright drugging — the brothers used to have sex.
The messages from the members of the unofficial group at the Washington DC campus gave tips on targeting first-year female students — perceived to be more naive — and the best places to have sex without being seen.
One email suggested inviting girls over for drinks before a party, so they “would feel more relaxed and safe.”
That “would be such a good idea to get the bitches in the right state of intoxication,” it said.
The problem at American University is one that colleges across the nation are confronting — how to stem the rising tide of campus sexual assaults.
The issue again made headlines earlier this month when Rolling Stone magazine detailed graphic allegations of assault and gang rape at fraternity parties — and the administration’s troubling lack of action — at the prestigious University of Virginia.
After the article was published, the school announced it was suspending fraternity and sorority activity — so-called “Greek life” — until January, when the new semester begins, and would hold meetings with students, faculty, alumni and others concerned to discuss steps to prevent sexual violence on campus.
At American University, students are taking action.
Amanda Gould, who is in her second year of studies, created a group — “No more silence” — and gathered 1,700 signatures to urge the university to expel the authors of the emails.
“Everyone considers them as ‘rape fraternities,’” said Gould.
“But the university consistently said we can’t do anything, because they are not affiliated with us,” she noted, referring to Epsilon Iota’s unofficial status.
Gould nevertheless organised a demonstration on campus that she called a “turning point”, explaining: “The university can’t just sweep it under the rug anymore.”
She never managed to get a meeting with the university president, but she indirectly got support at a much higher level.
‘It’s on us’
As outrage over the prevalence of sexual assaults on college campuses — and what many critics blast as an inadequate response from authorities — spread, the White House launched a national campaign.
“It’s on us” — promoted by President Barack Obama — calls on each student to “be part of the solution.”
“Don’t be a bystander. Stopping sexual assault is about being the guy who stops it,” the campaign urges in videos using footage shot at parties, showing drunk women targeted by unscrupulous students.
Across the United States, an estimated one college student in five is raped, and only 12 percent of these attacks are reported, Obama said when he launched the campaign in September.
At American University, sophomore Faith Ferber is part of a student group that runs workshops on sexual violence prevention, which have grown in popularity on campus since the email scandal.
The group has gotten the university administration to require all members of the dozen officially recognised fraternities to attend a workshop.
For other students, workshop attendance is voluntary — despite troubling statistics from a 2013 poll showing that 18 percent of American University students had been subjected to undesired sexual relations within the previous six months.
‘Yes means yes’
The hour-long presentation — with free pizza as an extra enticement — focuses on what constitutes true consent in a sexual encounter.
In a slightly stilted atmosphere and using a prepared script, two presenters explain that both parties need to be sober and must consciously agree to any sexual act.
“Consent is sexy. It is awesome to desire and to be desired,” emphasises one of the presenters.
Very little is said, however, on ways to stay out of danger — for instance, about drinking, or accepting either a drink in an open cup or a ride from a stranger.
“Risk reduction is one very small, even not essential piece to sexual prevention,” said Daniel Rappaport, the university official tasked with preventing sexual violence.
The program takes inspiration from “Yes Means Yes,” a law just passed in California. Under the new law, any sexual encounter without clear agreement could be considered rape if a complaint is filed with the university.
In other words, at issue in investigations would not be whether there was a rape, but whether there was consent — with public funding for institutions tied to compliance.
But AU’s Rappaport says the problem goes deeper than laws.
“The core problem is the way we train boys to become men who are taught to be aggressive and dominate and to see women as objects of conquest,” Rappaport said.
Perpetrators don’t stand out as easily identifiable monsters, he said.
“They have the same social skills, same class schedules, same whatever as everyone else,” Rappaport explained.
“But they have been taught and reinforced by our culture over and over again that doing what they do is acceptable.”
First published 30 November, 6.31pm
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Cults
The difference between a cult and a religion is numbers.
L Ron Hubbert was once quoted as saying that if you want to become rich quickly, just set up your own religion. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna call it lou’s school of loopy loos
I have seen this already. Good show. The only reason they were granted religion status is because they had hundreds of cases against the IRS and they got fed up dealing with them. It’s a money making scam of epic proportions. Religion has nothing to do with it. Anybody that follows this cult with the sheer amount of info that’s available on it deserves to be ripped off.
Saw it when it first came out. Nothing we don’t really know – Scientologists are nuts, and Miscavige is a shifty fecker. Louis Theroux is working on one on Scientology at the moment. Can’t wait to see it. Love his documentaries.
Louis Theroux has also done a documentary about it. I think the Scientology Church have tried to stop BBC from showing it and Louis himself is having trouble with them.
Scientology “church” said they were going to make a documentary about Louis Theroux in retaliation. The way they bully people who saw sense and left the church is frightening
There’s another one by the BBC called “Scientology and Me” and its sequel. It’s not by Louis Theroux but it’s still well worth a watch.
I saw that one last year, was very good also
hey Linda is that documentary on Netflix, do you know? Thanks
I don’t know, it will be on the BBC player.
Finally available in Ireland? It’s been available for months for anyone with a broadband connection.
watched a documentary in school about it years ago, genius strategy for recruitment, get you to fill out questionnaires and identify those with certain psychological traits to make them more susceptible to being influenced. then create levels of membership, where you can rise higher by spending money. the money model Would you believe it’s a similar model to that used by mobile phone games.
And the very first step is to be videotaped while you confess anything and everything you have ever done wrong. They present this as cathartic when the real aim is to be able to discredit people EXACTLY how they are doing to the people in this film!
la la la la la la la la leader!!
Na-na-na-na-na-na -na-na Leader!
No?
Scientology is no more or no less bat shit crazy than Christianity, Islam or any other mainstream religion
Maybe, but all those other religions relay on getting their hooks into young kids when it’s easier to brainwash them. Scientology managed to persuade educated adults into joining them.
I don’t know of any other religion who threaten and blackmail its members if they attempt to leave.
True, but it’s recent enough that we can actually see that it’s completely fictitious man made tripe. We’re not so lucky with the other religions.
Nothing like the threat of being denied access to heaven and being told you’ll burn for all eternity in the fiery pits below then?
Come on now O Swetenham…all religions are comnpletely ficticious man made tripe. It’s just that some are more pernicious than others.
Yeah well, that was pretty much my point ‘O Boy’. Well done on using the word ‘pernicious’ though
It’s one of my favourites alright. ;)
So very true. Christianity gets their claws into you by baptising a child! People think they have to. It’s the “norm”.Then in school,forced to take a pledge at 12!! Virgins giving birth,putting fear into people and yet most People think Scientology is bat shit crazy!
Of course like you say as kids they know no different. Scientology manages to get educated adults to join just like Jim Jones and the people’s temple or David Koresh. All brainwashing.
Certainly worth a look..a real eye-opener.
These folks are bonafide headcases and it would all be hilarious if it wasn’t mostly true.
Brilliant documentary, saw it last month. I would urge both of the people left in the state who still thinks Scientology is a religion to watch it as well.
WTF happened Big John’s face?
Face/Off.
He looks like a wax work of himself!
Scientology ……for those who think Religion isn’t far fetched enough…
the only controversial thing is that we, as a society, still allow organisations to get rich by exploiting fearful and gullible people by making up nonsense stories about supernatural beings and bizarre rituals and promises of salvation.
Watched this on the HBO app over the weekend. Some very serious allegations from a lot of former members in there. Great watch though. Other documentaries people should check out from HBO are “The Jinx”, and also “The Grim Sleeper”.
The Jinx was excellent
The Jinx was brilliant, I couldn’t believe what was happening most of the time.
Ooh cheers! I always likes a good recommend so I does :)
And one back for you Shanners…..”The Wolfpack”. Not sure if it’s on your HBO app but certainly available out there by …ahem….”other means”. One the best feature documentaries I’ve seen in a long time. Incredible story. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDbqcMfUdlI
If you ask me all religions are money scams. The only one that does not scam is agnostic that one is free thank god!!
It’s a great watch. Lots of detail that I didn’t know about. I was at the half marathon expo at the RDS last week and among the running shoes and vitamin drink booths was a scientology booth. I was shocked. I went over to a lady getting a “stress test” to do my civic duty and tell her that it was a cult and to my delight, I hear her sitting there winding the “tester” up and taking the pi$s. Also for those who say that at least they don’t target children for indoctrination, watch the documentary. They do.
Wish they’d do one on the Mormons
The leader is good, the leader is great.
I saw a BBC documentary a few years ago on Scientology – very scary and it didn’t set out to tarnish them- they did that themselves – following around the crew, photographing their activities and having a 24hr surveillance on them told you all you need to know! I would love to live in a world with no Cults- that includes Cults such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism etc…. They are all a bunch of Cults if you ask me!!
Why are people so jealous of Scientologists.
Because people are always jealous of those who are successful.
Your trolling is becoming boring and tiresome Jack.
it’s hardly even classed as trolling anymore.
OH I get it Meehawwl.
Contrary opinions outside the Groupthink are now classified as ‘trolling’.
And you’re the arbiter who ultimately decides.
You charging a fee for inclusion?
Poor trolling 2/10
Stop digging lad and just accept your original comment was utterly ridiculous.
After seeing “Going Clear” and reading Lawrence Wright’s similarly named book I decided never to watch another Tom Cruise movie. Not that I had been a big TC fan before. Very disappointed that Jon Stewart wimped out on questioning TC on Scientology last week – low point for The Daily Show – classic corporate media fail.
So there grandfather was Aleister Crowley?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Parsons_(rocket_engineer)
All religions are BS this one is no different!! There is only one person to believe in and that is yourself :-).
I’m looking forward to “Scientology, The Musical”!
seems a bit weird that they would reject requests from the ‘church’ to be part of the documentary. makes me think it’s gonna be a 1 sided hack job.
It’s nothing of the sort. Watch it and see.
“[Hubbard] is a gentleman; he has red hair, green eyes, is honest and intelligent, and we have become great friends. He moved in with me about two months ago, and although Betty and I are still friendly, she has transferred her sexual affection to Ron. Although he has no formal training in Magick, he has an extraordinary amount of experience and understanding in the field. From some of his experiences I deduced that he is in direct touch with some higher intelligence, possibly his Guardian Angel. He describes his Angel as a beautiful winged woman with red hair whom he calls the Empress and who has guided him through his life and saved him many times. He is the most Thelemic person I have ever met and is in complete accord with our own principles.”
The Great Beast: the life and magick of Aleister Crowley, p. 392. London: Macdonald and Co., 1971. ISBN 0-356-03631-6
Cut and paste level = expert.
The brutal depiction of the electroconvulsive shock therapy treatment in the film One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest did for ECT what Jaws did for sharks.
.MindFreedom Ireland do not consider that’ ECT’ can be therapy as it causes brain damage and therefore it should be abolished.
Dr Noel Browne, Irish Psychiatrist, author of ‘Against The Tide’
” Yet another treatment procedure comparable in repulsiveness was the use of electric shock so as to alter an individual’s vision of his unhappy life. To the end of my days in psychiatry I could not accept that an electric shock would transform the parent mourning for a dead child, or the spouse for a lost partner, from being deeply depressed to being the classic ‘happy man’. To me it was wholly reminiscent of the many futile, sometimes dangerous, procedures used in desperation by us in the 1930s to safe the life of the dying consumptive………My job as house physician was to provide a completely purposeless ritual presence. I would stand at the head of the patient as he was anaesthetised and then apply an electric terminal at each side of the patient’s skull……..A series of standard shocks was then applied through the terminals…..Later, as a consultant psychiatrist, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES would I submit a patient to the procedure. What is more I found that they had NO NEED OF IT. The unexplained rational of the procedure was much too reminiscent of the use of cupping, blood-letting and the application of leeches.”
Scientology has been at the forefront of the campaign to outlaw this inhumane practice for decades
Society owes them a debt of gratitude for that.
jealous? ???
jealous…. no…..I mean Lizards coming here in a spaceship and living under the sea then moving to a volcano…… add two Italian brothers and you’ve got the first five levels of Super Mario…..
I mean “jealous??…..hardly
I’ve been laughing here all afternoon wondering what kind of person gets jealous of a religion.
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