Greeks Battling Sexual Assault

Greek houses are one area of campus were administrators constantly battle for control.  As independent organizations with national headquarters and standards that, theoretically, are to be upheld nationwide, Greek organizations often see little advantage to allowing school officials some authority in their groups.  However, the growing number of sexual assaults that can be linked to Greek organizations must be addressed.  If national chapter headquarters, maybe thousands of miles away, cannot address these issues, then student affairs professionals and institution administrators must take action.  Some campuses are looking to stricter hazing and alcohol policies while others have relied on student leadership to help put an end to inappropriate and dangerous student behavior. 

                Dartmouth College has a policy in place designed to protect sorority women and punish misbehaving fraternities.  If a sorority woman reports any type of physical, sexual, or emotional assault by a fraternity member to her chapter, the chapter will take action on her behalf.  After the report, the women’s chapter reports the alleged incident to the fraternity and gives them 24 hours to begin an internal investigation.  If a proper investigation is not launched in the given time frame, all eight sorority organizations on campus cancel any future events with that fraternity.  Ellie Sandmeyer, a leader in the Dartmouth Greek community says that this policy is not meant to replace formal reporting channels, but it is designed to make fraternity members feel as if they all have a “stake in the issue.”

                Douglas Fierberg argues that by ending alcohol consumption on campus and binge drinking by minors, campuses can see a significant reduction in assault related incidents.  He also suggests that institutions implement an “open disclosure policy,” to make the public aware of all incidents that take place on campus.  He points out that this policy would be similar to other laws that protect the general public and believes women have the right to know if they are entering the scene of a sexual assault.  One might argue that posting this information would be pointless after the accuser or the accusers pledge class moved out of the Greek house, or that groups can change, or that one individual does not entirely define a group.  I agree with these arguments wholeheartedly, but as a female and a member of a Greek organization, I would want to be made aware of any incidents that occurred on campus.  While posting a sign might not be necessary, making the public aware of incidents and their setting might encourage women to be more cautious and aware of their surroundings. 

                While no individual can provide the solution to sexual assaults on college campuses, the combined efforts of students and professionals can lead to a decrease in the number of incidents.  A combination of education, alcohol policies, and peer influences can make a significant impact on student behavior and awareness of these incidents.  Until all students recognize that this is indeed a serious problem on college campuses, we will see no change in student behavior or student response. 

Sources: 
Dartmouth
End Boozing First