Why is Sexual Assault within Greek Life so Common?
Greek life has stood on various college campuses since the late 1700’s. The fraternities and sororities on campuses bring a bounty of opportunities for those who join the various organizations such as academic support, social networking and even career opportunities (Svrluga). However, they are not free from flaw. Dangers within Greek Life have existed for ages, and some of those have lead to trauma and even death. Fraternities and sororities are not only organizations likely to have parties with drugs and alcohol, but participate in hazing and sexual assault. These horrific behaviours are not uncommon within the groups, especially sexual assault. According to the National Institute of Justice, just being in a sorority increases the chances of sexual assault. On campuses around the United States, sorority members are up to a quarter of sexual assault victims (NIJ). And that’s only accounting for the reports which were reported and documented.
In general, over 90% of sexual assaults that occur on college campuses are not reported by the victim (NSVRC). With sexual assaults being a very common occurrence, with a sexual assault occurring every 98 seconds in the U.S, that is a large number of victims who don’t receive support of any kind. Colleges tend to sweep the incidents under the rug, to cover controversy and uphold a clean status within the educational community. In addition, fraternities and sororities ignore or undermine the reports from their members, and sometimes don’t even notify the universities. One study done by The Office of Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill to various universities found that over “40% of the schools failed to conduct a single sexual assault investigation over the past five years”(Montenegro). This hush-hush environment creates a toxic setting for victims and a fear of finding help since it’s likely no one will. It also develops a belief that sexual assault is okay, especially since the offender rarely receives punishment.
Within Greek life, there is an ever present double standard that creates a divide between the organizations, and between the people who partake. The desire for popularity, social power and free will creates a normalized environment of an overlooked and troubling issue which is sexual assault within fraternities and sororities in the United States of America. With fraternity men three times more likely to commit rape than those not in the Greek life (Valenti) because of their superiority belief, and sororities with policies that promote “a culture that reduces women to objects of sexual pleasure, only useful as subjects of the male gaze and desire” (Svrluga), there is no wonder that the Greek life is a harmful environment in which rape, harassment, and sexual assault in general thrives.
Students who try and take action against their offenders often find that the process of receiving help is grueling and usually not worth the little justice achieved. In many cases, there is a lack of a pattern in terms of decisions made. Offenders rarely receive a large punishment for their actions. Expulsion or suspension is always the last punishment given. In many cases on college campuses, almost half of the offenders are just given an “educational sanction”, this includes punishments such as warnings (Kingkade). These loose punishments basically let the offender off the hook, and free to repeat their crimes (as many of them do). The Association for Student Conduct Administration even tells colleges that “the school’s handling of sexual assault cases should not mirror the criminal process” (Kingkade). What this tells the students is that their crime isn’t in fact a crime in the eyes of their Greek life leaders, or their universities. Just a mistake or an inconvenience, and when fraternities are treated so highly, the offenders continue to test out the waters to see how much they can mess up without repercussion.
Yet, what is the benefit for Greek life when they ignore and minimize such a terrible crime? Why do the Greek life organizations continue to allow the traumatic problem? For fraternities, it allows the men to freely explore their hormones and desires without consequence. “Experts and Greek insiders agree that a competitive, testosterone-driven environment fueled by alcohol and casual sex is part of fraternities’ sexual assault problem” (Carone). For sororities, ignoring the issue moves them up the rank of popularity and provides them social advantages. This includes being associated with high ranking fraternities and allows them to have opportunities those below do not have access to. Additionally, since sororities have rules against alcohol at parties, they have to throw joint-parties with fraternities and must maintain good relationships with them to do so. Greek life isn’t owned by universities either. This allows them to throw off campus parties, and because fraternities have the access to so many things, it’s the place for social gathering in college. Korinayo Thompson, co-president of Yale's co-ed fraternity says that “Sororities are social places for women but they depend on frats for real estate and parties,” (Jackson). With the fraternities so full of benefits, many disregard issues. These benefits are only presented if no one exposes the dark game of ignorance, and so they don’t. The old policies that focus on only rank and reputation continue to turn a blind eye to the horrors occurring within.
If the issue is revealed, the prestige and power of the fraternities and sororities that the Greek life organizations have worked so hard for would be lost. In addition, the scandals would create a negative image of many colleges of an unsafe environment. This would cause controversy which could in turn lead to not only bad publicity, but legal cases, lowered admissions, and financial damage. In terms of keeping a good reputation, exposing sexual assault that occurs within the their beloved and highly esteemed Greek life would mean bad news for them.
All the secrecy and ignorance within the fraternities and sororities, is harmful for the victim who endured the horrendes event. Not providing help, or even just acknowledging and validating the trauma of a sexual assault victim, creates a whirlwind of damage for the victim. These effects include depression, isolation, loss of trust, and anxiety to name a few. It also makes the victim feel as though their suffering is their fault in a way, when it is never the victim's fault. In sororities especially, the worth of the sisters is boiled down to a shiny object, rather than an intelligent human being as they are.
The desire to be liked, to be popular, to be in power, is not a new wish. The sad truth is that many people will do, or endure, almost anything to possess power or be high on the social rank. These ideas carry a variety of benefits that boost people's confidence and open doors to privileges those below them don't have. Sororities and fraternities are no exception. Greek life and the people within them are a persuasive force, and have a large effect on the college itself. Allowing such a reputable and well known organization to get away with a criminal act, like sexual assault, spreads the image that things like rape and harassment are okay. That, if they can do it, why not the rest of campus.
Students should have the basic right of safety in their place of education. While support is available to victims who wish to receive it such as rape crisis centers and hotlines , the promotion of staying silent brings harm to the victims. Change must be made to not only end sexual assault but to comfort those who have been affected.
Universities must take serious action against the reports, and Greek life organizations must speak up for themselves. The hope for a high social rank should not outweigh the strive for ending sexual assault. As an educated nation, we must work together to spread awareness and bring repercussions to those who assault, and bring comfort and support to those who were assaulted. Fear should not be the controller of a college environment, learning and new experiences should be. People are not objects to play with, and we need to work to stop those who think that. Popularity and power are not worth more than a human.