Sexual Assault in Greek Life: Ripe for Change

Culture carries influence. Although we may not always realize it, our culture and society dictate much of our actions and influence our opinions. Here at the University of Southern California, this is certainly true both academically and socially. The culture of a specific group or area creates a standard that those involved often desperately try to reach. The importance of the influence of culture is prevalent in USC’s social circles. Dictated by big parties and extravagant performers on Greek Row, USC’s social life is fun, to say the least. Fun cannot be had without its drawbacks, however, and Greek life at USC does not diverge from this trend. Amidst disputes about hazing and fraternity legitimacy, sexual assault in the Greek system has been prevalent, even for decades. Fraternity parties are often hotspots for various forms of sexual harassment and contribute to a Greek life culture that consistently degrades and objectifies women. The University of Southern California, and all universities with Greek life for that matter, desperately need a long-term solution to these crimes. While some argue that a solution to sexual assault in the Greek system should be rooted in various legal consequences and resources, I believe a shift in the culture of Greek life is necessary in order to see a meaningful and long-lasting decrease in sexual assault cases. A logical step forward puts the safety of all involved at the forefront by raising the accountability of fraternity men and implementing safety measures to prevent sexual assault from occurring.

The definition of sexual assault can often be ambiguous for many people, specifically to those on college campuses and in Greek life, yet its parameters are quite clear. The discretion to engage in sexual activity always requires mutual consent; RAINN or the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network understands sexual assault as “any sexual contact or behavior that occurs between certain individuals without the explicit consent of the victim”. This simple definition lays out that behavior ranging from “being too touchy” to attempted rape is classified as sexual assault and should be addressed as such (RAINN). Men within fraternities often point to the supposed ambiguity of this clear definition as an excuse for their acts. For example, they may defend forceful or unwanted touches on a dance floor as acceptable because “we are just dancing, right?’ In fraternities, this is how sexual assault cases can often start. Forced grinding or hand touching leads to abuse and non-consensual behavior later on.

This unfortunate process and the ensuing result require a solution as it is far too prevalent and has been plaguing Greek life for decades. Social fraternities as we know them emerged in the early 19th century and sexual assault cases on college campuses increased in direct correspondence. Since then, the likelihood that women will endure sexual assault while at college has only increased. A study conducted by the Sexual Abuse Law Firm revealed that “Women in sororities are 74% more likely to experience sexual assault on a college campus than women who are not involved in Greek life” (Lewis & Llewellyn). Women are convincingly more likely than not to experience some form of sexual assault while a part of Greek life. Hence, men engaged in a fraternity are “3 times more likely to commit sexual abuse than their non-Greek peers”(Lewis & Llewellyn). The statistical likelihood that these acts will occur reveals sexual assault as a systemic problem within the Greek system. As a man in Greek life at USC, these statistics compel me to evaluate myself, my choices, and the system I am a part of. I recognize that chance does not simply determine that “One in five women will be sexually assaulted during the four years spent at college”; years and years of a stagnant system that disrespects women have allowed for this issue to become pervasive (Lewis & Llewellyn).

A man’s motivation to commit sexual assault cannot be solely attributed to his biological desire for sex. Culture carries influence, and in this case, Greek culture lends itself to sexual assault. The culture of Greek life, specifically that of fraternities is rooted in toxic masculinity and thus an objectification of women. The Greek system traditionally has put the power for formal social interaction in the hands of the men. The men throw all the parties, the men invite the women, the men provide the alcohol, and the men can dictate who will or will not be admitted to the party. This dynamic on its face places the man in the position of entitlement and the woman in debt. Sorority women are constantly encouraged to bring energy and to be “as fun as possible with the fraternity hosting an event” (US4SC). While this might create an energetic environment, it also creates one in which the fraternity brothers feel they deserve something from the women they invite to their parties, and the women feel as though they owe something to the men. This mentality, in combination with excessive drinking and drug usage, makes the fraternity party primed for cases of sexual assault.

The culture and mentality that drives sexual assault in Greek life are also supported by the relationship of the men within the brotherhood, separate from any interaction with women. Life within a fraternity is undoubtedly influenced by one’s peers or “brothers”. There is constant pressure to validate oneself within the fraternity and the pressure to conform to the expectations of a “brotherhood” only reinforces this. The culture and tradition of Greek life also dictate that new members must go through a pledging process in order to be a part of this brotherhood. Although effective in building relationships, new members begin to embrace the role of “fraternity brother” and increasingly become committed to that role. In Kaitlin M. Boyle’s report on Sociology Compass called Social Psychological Processes that Facilitate Sexual Assault within the Fraternity Party Subculture, she evaluates the motivations for sexual assault of fraternity brothers. Her analysis explains that desires to be around similar individuals as well as the desire to “attain identity verification” leads to the toxic behavior commonly exhibited by men (Boyle 97). Although the behavior can differ, “in a high-risk fraternity party subculture, these actions involve problem drinking, disrespect of women, and sexual aggression” (Boyle 102). Men seek to have their identities or actions verified by those around them and unfortunately think engaging in sexual activities with women is an action supported by the other brothers. This mentality and dynamic is unacceptable, yet it is still prevalent in most Greek Rows and around the world.

Examining intense drinking and drug usage in other contexts is useful in evaluating culture’s effect on sexual assault. This dynamic is evident throughout the United Kingdom and its university system, one that does not have Greek life. A study conducted by the Office of National Statistics shockingly reveals that “62% of students and graduates have experienced some form of sexual violence” with one in ten experiencing rape during their 4 years at university (British Office of National Statistics). Despite the absence of a Greek Row, sexual assault still permeates college environments. The perpetuation of the rising “lad culture” in England is attributed to causing these disheartening statistics (Reynolds). The “lads” maintain hypermasculinity and preserve the subjugation of women. The existence of these trends in the absence of Greek life, begs the question: if Greek life were to be banned, would we see a drop in cases?

The most common proposal for the future of Greek life is to abolish it completely, however, I am uncertain that this would eliminate or reduce the high number of sexual assaults on campus. Surrounding the controversy of recent rape allegations on USC’s Greek row, support for a ban on Greek life has grown significantly. While it is undeniable that abolishing Greek life completely would lower the incidence of sexual assault temporarily, it is not a long-term solution that would uproot the misogynistic culture present on college campuses. In fact, the presence of sexual assault in the United Kingdom universities suggests that these acts will continue to happen regardless of the formal classifications that are fraternities and sororities. It is likely that following the abolition of Greek life, USC would see these parties and mixers move underground and continue on an unregulated basis. This scenario presents more of a danger to women as neither Interfraternity Council(IFC), the governing board for fraternities, nor USC officials would assist in keeping people safe. Banning Greek life would not break down the culture responsible for sexual assault on campus, but, rather, would simply move this culture out of the limelight and remove any transparency.

Additionally, men and women who participate in Greek life would also be removed from valuable positions and relationships that exist within fraternities and sororities. The experience and connections that Greek life provides should not be understated. From personal experience, I can attest to the bond developed amongst my fraternity brothers and its importance in keeping me grounded and happy. I recognize as well that the time I spend in leadership positions within the fraternity will translate into preparation for my post-college life. While the safety of all involved needs to be made a priority, Greek life is worth saving, especially when there are other options.

However, not all other options have proven to be successful, in the United Kingdom, the solutions provided were helpful after a sexual assault, but not in preventing it in the future. Rooted in justice and assistance for the victims, the tactics taken by these universities are extremely important but not preventative. Employing things like larger “counseling services”, “reporting services”, and “consent workshops” help provide relief but do not stop it from happening in the future (Reynolds). This type of response is typical of large organizations like universities. USC has applied similar, unsuccessful tactics in the past.

The University of Southern California has been ineffective in dealing with sexual assault on its campus, specifically with the cases on Greek Row and has not provided a long-term solution for the future. Its solutions have lacked meaningful, lasting change and instead appear to focus solely on consequences for the perpetrator and assistance for the victim. Historically, after a report of sexual assault at a fraternity, USC fails to provide an immediate public response. In fact, USC often does not publicly respond to a claim of sexual assault on campus for a month or longer. When the University does publicly respond, however, its responses often are vague and ambiguous. It may issue statements of apology, disgust, or disdain but it fails to outwardly take actions that may both address the immediate allegation and curtail future incidences of such claims. While it is important to legally prosecute all perpetrators of sexual assault, including those in Greek life, an aggressive approach that alters the culture of Greek life and aims to prevent sexual assault from occurring in the future is necessary.

My recommendation to break down the toxic culture of sexual assault in Greek Life is to raise accountability among fraternity brothers and open dialogue to discuss sexual assault campus-wide. The fraternity brotherhood needs to be utilized to talk about and combat sexual assault not create an environment that is ripe for it. The mindset surrounding sexual assault within this brotherhood needs to be changed and thus there needs to be an environment for men to openly talk about this topic amongst themselves and others on campus. Sage Journals author, Jill C. Hoxmeier examined the social tendencies of fraternity men and the environment they are in and concluded that we need to “alleviate men’s barriers to open dialogue about sexual assault”(Hoxmeier 29). Currently, there is no space for any type of discussion in fraternities surrounding sexual assault as most men feel uncomfortable with the topic or do not know how to discuss what they feel. Times in which the President addresses the topic in front of the brotherhood need to be more frequent. Now common, mental health chairs need to reach out and encourage conversations on this topic. Although culture does not change overnight, encouraging this type of conversation will breed results in the future. It takes generations of progress to break down a culture that has been stagnant for decades; however, it needs to begin now.

The men within fraternities also need to hold each other accountable and take on more responsibility for curtailing possible incidents of sexual assault. Fraternities should be mandated to meet safety standards before throwing a party. A brotherhood can take a multitude of steps to lower the chance of sexual assault in these environments. For example, the fraternity men may be tasked with simply listening to talks between brothers before a party and keeping an eye out for risky behavior before and during a party. Specifically, certain brothers could be designated as “sober” while women are in the house and can keep a watchful eye for suspicious behaviors among party-goers. The men need to play an active role in stopping sexual assault in their homes and thus increase their own accountability. My fraternity has begun to employ some of these tactics as the importance of preventing sexual assault is paramount to our brotherhood. Recently we have created safe rooms during parties that are meant for people who either appear to be overly drunk or who are upset they may have experienced some form of sexual harassment. Changes such as these along with continuing education and open conversations about sexual assault prevention should be required for all fraternities to institute. Though these may seem to be simple baby steps toward reducing sexual assault incidents in Greek life, they illuminate how serious this issue is to all those involved and begin the process of breaking down this misogynistic culture.

I do understand, however, the limitations of implementing changes such as these. Therefore addressing the dynamic that Greek women are constantly placed in a position of debt or subordinate to the men must be part of the change amongst fraternity men. I feel that on a large scale the Greek system needs to be reworked entirely in order to ensure a balance. Fraternity men should not always be the ones expected to provide everything and sorority women should not always be expected to show up with numbers and a ton of energy. The benefits that Greek life provides can be maintained without placing the man in the position of dominance.

It is also important to note, that although driven and motivated by the toxic culture, men take it upon themselves to commit a crime like sexual assault. It is an individual decision to harass someone and thus no blame should be removed from the perpetrator of these acts. In the moment it is a man deciding to take advantage of a woman, yet the environment of Greek life creates a petri dish for this unacceptable behavior to occur.

Culture carries influence, but it can be changed. The fraternity culture can evolve if the correct resources and support systems are provided. An evolution to a culture built on fun and the safety of all involved is necessary. Although perpetrating a sexual assault is an individual choice, one’s motivations to commit such an act come from the culture around them. This unique dynamic has made me reflect upon my own experience in Greek life. I know that the people around me in my fraternity are good and look down upon acts of sexual assault. However, I also know that culture carries influence. So while these individuals may be kind-hearted with no negative intentions, the culture they are a part of is corrosive and undoubtedly influences their choices. Thus, I hope that the future of Greek life will reflect the good intentions of those involved and not the toxic culture that has been persistent for decades.