Lets Change Fraternity Culture Regarding Sexual Assault

As an organization SigEp has focused on the concept of "Sound Mind; Sound Body" for the last several years. That is now part of our core. Our academic progress across all chapters has been amazing since grades became something we measure. SigEp has also made great strides in the areas of diversity and inclusion is a relatively short time.

Now it's time for SigEp as an organization to address another negative stereotype about "Frat Boys" - sexual assault. And by "address" I mean more than scary stories in a risk management presentation.

We need to remember that "Virtue" is also a Cardinal Principle.We are instructed to "behave with decency as befits the day." Even - perhaps especially - when alcohol is involved. Lets work toward actively promoting Virtue as a SigEp quality.

How shall we move toward a culture that does not accept this type of behavior? Can we consciously build an atmosphere in out chapters where "this is NOT what SigEp does" is communicated from the national level, to the local volunteer level, to chapter leadership, and to the members? I asked these questions at the Ft. Worth "Volunteer Drive-In Training" session last week. The response I got was "You are the word junky, How would you craft the message?"

Fair enough. If you complain you get to volunteer. So here is what I think:

• From the top down, the message about sexual assault should be "This is not accepted SigEp behavior." A balanced man does not assault his date, or his 'new friend', "I plead drunken stupor" is not an excuse. 
• It's no longer 'cool' to slut-shame someones daughter.  
• If fighting is a standards board offence, then sexual assault belongs there too. Yes, that would mean you could get penalized or even kicked out. 
• We get lots of scary cases and 'what ifs' during the inevitable Sexual assault portion of risk management presentations. How about making a positive case for acting like a gentleman? Add more "act like this" to all the "don't do that."
• Find a way to measure and reward positive behavior. This could be tough since we are talking more about the absence of bad actions, but maybe some of the professionals could suggest metrics.

That should be enough to get the discussion started. Lets hear from you now. Pro, con, too far out, not drastic enough? Have at it.

Here is a link to the article that had the video attached:

Fraternity Culture Linked To College Sexual Assault Problem | KPBS:

'via Blog this'

Bringing sexual assault into the light - The Northern Iowan - University of Northern Iowa

You may think that progress on sexual assault has its ups and downs. The SigEps at the University of Northern Iowa are out to prove it by riding a "Sexual Assault Awareness Week See-SAAW" in shifts for 24 hours.
They also, and without a trace of irony, sponsored a "Snag a SigEp Date" auction and raffle which raised over $1900.

Bringing sexual assault into the light - The Northern Iowan - University of Northern Iowa

Sexual Assault Awareness month, which is April, aims to raise awareness of sexual assault and get away from the “stranger in the bush” way of thinking, said Robin Summers, graduate assistant in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program.

ERIN KEISER/Northern Iowan

Sigma Phi Epsilon built a See-SAAW for Sexual Assault Awareness 

Week. The brothers took turns riding the See- SAAW for 24 hours 

outside Maucker Union.

“Most people who are sexually assaulted know their attackers,” Summers said. “It is important to inform people about what sexual assault is and what it is not.”

Groups on and off campus are sponsoring sexual assault awareness events all month.

Sigma Phi Epsilon sponsored Sexual Assault Awareness Week (SAAW) April 14-18. Members built a “See-SAAW” near the fountain outside Maucker Union that members took turns riding for 24 consecutive hours. The brothers hoped to make the week more visible to the community.

The fraternity also sponsored a self-defense class and Snag a SigEp Date Auction/Raffle, which raised $1,940 for Cedar Valley Friends of the Family, a nonprofit organization that aids those who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence or homelessness.

Alex Stepanek, vice president of programming for Sigma Phi Epsilon, said he knows fraternities receive a bad stereotype regarding sexual assault. He said he wants to show people that sexual assault awareness matters to them.

Joan Thompson, victim services advocate, said this is important because men may be more willing to listen to other men.

“The reality is that sexual assault is mainly perpetrated by men,” Thompson said. “So I do think when men step up and get involved, it speaks loudly to other men because they can be influential to other men in helping to bring awareness and stepping up the plate and holding one another accountable for treating people with respect.”

Thompson will participate in the month’s last event, Take Back the Night, April 29. Wellness and Recreation Services, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and the Feminist Action League are sponsoring the event.

Thompson will be discussing her role of victim services advocate while Harry Brod, sociology, anthropology and criminology professor,  will cover consent in a panel discussion. Two victims of sexual assault will also relate their personal stories to the audience.

“I would just say that every student has the ability to do one thing, whether it’s to walk to a display and look at something, pick up a ribbon, go to one of the lectures ... I just think everyone has the chance to do something, and not only for themselves personally, but for others,” said Shawna Haislet, graduate assistant in WRS Health Education.

Jackson Katz, co-founder of Mentors in Violence Prevention, will give a lecture Thursday. “More Than a Few Good Men: A Lecture on American Manhood and Violence Against Women” will focus on sexual assault prevention.

“Sexual assault will not go away by doing nothing,” Summers said. “Action has to be taken, but for that to happen, I think it is important for people to be aware that it’s a human issue, not a women’s issue, and that everyone can take a part in ending this horrific type of violence.”

Fourth Rape Reported at University of Texas at Arlington

Fourth Rape Reported at University of Texas at Arlington | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth:

Less than a month into the fall semester, University of Texas at Arlington police are investigating four sexual assaults, including three at a fraternity house.

The latest incident was reported to police on Saturday at the Life Science building in the heart of campus.

Police have released few details about the attack, but it is not believed to be related to three sexual assaults reported in late August and early September. Those incidents -- Aug. 23, Aug. 24 and Sept. 7 -- reportedly occurred at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house.

The fraternity's national office said in a statement Tuesday that it has ordered the UTA chapter "to cease and desist operations." The national fraternity said it is assisting in the investigation and that a representative from its office visited with UTA administration Tuesday.

The national office also said it would "bring additional sanctions against any member whose conduct is determined to be inconsistent with the fraternity's values or Texas state law."

UTA issued an interim suspension to a male student in connection with the Sept. 7 report. The university also placed five fraternity chapters on interim suspension while it investigates allegations of alcohol abuse by students younger than 21 and other violations of university policies and procedures.

The university investigations are separate from the police investigations into the sexual assault allegations, UTA spokeswoman Kristin Sullivan said.

Students said they were shocked to hear that a fourth sexual assault had been reported.

"It kind of makes you wonder what happened, if it could have been avoided, what the university can do to prevent those kind of things," senior Helen Moyo said.

Some students said they had not heard about the most recent attack.

"That's really unsettling and kind of terrifying," Moyo said.

Sophomore Hannah Summers said it is making her think about what she does to be safe.

"I guess I'll make sure to be more careful, like where I park and if I park under a light where it's darker," Summers said.

In an email, Sullivan said that UTA is committed to ensuring a healthy, safe and secure environment.

"In addition to the investigations, the university is conducting a broad assessment of its policies, operations and compliance related to Greek organizations," she said.

NBC 5's Mola Lenghi contributed to this report.

'via Blog this'

Univ. of Central Arkansas: Sexual Assault at Sig Ep

AR Zeta (University of Central Arkansas) is dealing with an accusation that a "voyeuristic video" was made and distributed to others.

Cops: Sexual Assault at Sig Ep | The Fountain:

by JORDAN KING • MARCH 11, 2013 

The Sigma Phi Epsilon house on Donaghey Avenue

UCA police are investigating allegations of sexual assault and video voyeurism at the Sigma Phi Epsilon house involving a member of the fraternity and a member of the Delta Zeta sorority.

Jacob Robinson, president of the campus chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilson, said the fraternity has already responded to the allegations.

“We are aware of the situation involving members of our chapter,” Robinson said. “The chapter and alumni corporation is cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation. The undergraduate chapter has suspended all members implicated in the incident pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Robinson declined to say how many members were suspended or provide other details.

Director of Sorority Life Lindsey Osborne contacted police on March 1 to report the video, which was allegedly filmed Feb. 8, according to the police report.

Sources said the fraternity member and the sorority member were engaged in a sexual act that was filmed on a cellphone and circulated among members of the Greek community.

Osborne declined to comment on the incident, referring questions to Arch Jones Jr., director of organizational & community services at the UCA Police Department. Police have not released many details about the incident except the names and personal information of three suspects and 11 witnesses.

One of the three suspects, a 20-year-old student who is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, is also listed as a witness. The second suspect, a 19-year-old student from Sherwood, is also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. The third suspect is a 21-year-old student from Wichita Falls, Texas. His affiliation with the fraternity couldn’t be determined from available information.

Eight of the 11 witnesses are listed on the incident report as students at UCA, and a ninth listed UCA on the education section of her Facebook profile. The remaining two witnesses are adjunct professors at UCA.

One of the alleged witnesses, an 18-year-old student, told The Fountain that he was in Fort Smith on the night of the incident and that the report incorrectly listed him as a witness.

The fraternity was suspended from campus for a year for violating the campus alcohol policy and fighting with members of another fraternity during the spring 2011 semester.

'via Blog this'

How NOT to do a SigEp video.

The overwhelming majority of online videos about SigEp send a positive message about the fraternity and its members. Even the ones that show brothers displaying um, character flaws, are not generally mean spirited even if they don't show us in the best light. 

However, occasionally a video shows up that is best used as a cautionary tail. Such is the one I have here today. 

While I would not call the video NSFW, exactly, you may feel otherwise. There are a few clips that get very close to the line. 

Questions to ask yourself before posting SigEp videos:

1. How does this affect the SigEp image? Positve? Negative?
2. If a potential member sees this video will he be more or less likely to consider SigEp?
3. If a parent see this video will he or she have a positive response?

Note I said nothing about production values. That is on purpose. Some of you may be aspiring to a career in video and this is a good place to practice and get better. Just be aware that "Content is King." I'm looking forward to your comments.

SMU Hunt Scholar arrested for sexual assault - Southern Methodist University

This is not a comfortable post to make. Looks like the chapter did the responsible thing. We will follow this story as it develops.

BREAKING NEWS: SMU Hunt Scholar arrested for sexual assault - News - Daily Campus - Southern Methodist University:

John David Mahaffey

John David Mahaffey, a 19-year-old sophomore finance major from Rogersville, Mo., was arrested Tuesday in connection with a Sept. 23 sexual assault of a fellow SMU student, according to Dallas County court records.

Mahaffey, a current Hunt Scholar, was arrested by SMU police and taken to the Dallas County Sheriffs’ department and subsequently booked into Dallas County Jail, according to Dallas County court records.
He was released on Sept. 26 after posting a $25,000 bond.

The alleged incident took place in the early hours of Sept. 23. SMU released a crime alert that Monday afternoon that stated:
"A male SMU student reported being sexually assaulted by a male SMU student acquaintance at two different campus locations about 3 a.m. and again shortly thereafter, on Sunday, September 23, 2012. The victim said he first was sexually assaulted on the west side of 3050 SMU Boulevard and then in the Airline Parking Garage at Airline Road and Daniel Avenue".
[...]

Mahaffey is the assistant vice president of recruitment for SMU’s Interfraternity Council (IFC) and a member of Student Senate, according to his Hunt Leadership Scholars Program page.

According to Mahaffey’s Facebook page, he is a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Sigma Phi Epsilon’s president Luke Friedman gave the following statement:

"The Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapter at Southern Methodist has learned that one of its members was taken into custody by the Dallas Police Department as part of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault. The chapter has suspended this member from the Fraternity pending the outcome of this investigation. Sigma Phi Epsilon’s mission is to build balanced men, and its leadership programs and educational efforts are based on the value of respect for self and others. Members are expected to act in accordance with SigEp’s values, and clearly, this alleged behavior is not tolerated and not consistent with the Fraternity’s mission. The chapter continues to cooperate fully with campus and Dallas police. This is a disturbing situation and the chapter's thoughts and concerns go out to everyone affected."

Woman Says Frat Party Entices Predators

Yup, this time it is one of our own - Texas Alpha - on the wrong end of a lawsuit.

Woman Says Frat Party Entices Predators

By IULIA FILIP 

     (CN) - A college freshman claims in court that she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted after being served a "trash can punch" laced with Everclear alcohol at a frat house party at the University of Texas at Austin.

     M.J. sued the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, its Texas Alpha Chapter and The University Of Texas Sig Ep Foundation, in Travis County Court. UTexas-Austin is not a party to the complaint.

     M.J. claims that the fraternity routinely gets young women drunk on "extremely alcoholic beverages" and fails to protect them from sexual predators.

     She says that in July 2010, while she was on campus for freshman orientation, she was invited to a "social event" at Sigma Phi Epsilon's fraternity house.

     She says she was served "extremely alcoholic beverages" at the party, and became "highly intoxicated."

     "At some point after midnight, (MJ) perceived her state of consciousness to be rapidly declining - she was going to sleep," the complaint states. "She started searching for her cell phone and purse with the intent of returning to her dormitory room, but never found her articles. During her search inside and on the grounds of the fraternity house, she at some point sat down and fell asleep - a deep sleep from which she could not easily be aroused. At no time prior to her sleep state did she consent to leaving the fraternity house and grounds with anyone, nor did she consent to sexual contact with anyone. During her sleep state she was not competent to grant any consent to anyone - factually or legally. She did not awaken from her sleep state until the next morning, when she found herself in the custody of a sexual predator in Williamson County. She had been sexually assaulted. She had been kidnapped."

Nebraska-Lincoln Frat President Goes to Jail

Judge gives ex-UNL fraternity president jail, fine

By LORI PILGER / Lincoln Journal Star

Offering a scathing indictment of hazing and underage drinking, Lancaster County Judge Gale Pokorny sent the former president of a now-suspended University of Nebraska-Lincoln fraternity to jail.

"Those other young men who will assume similar roles on campus in the future need to know that he is not probation material," Pokorny said of Michael Classen, who since has graduated.

Classen, 23, pleaded no contest to hazing and procuring alcohol, admitting to slapping a Sigma Chi fraternity pledge in the face and buying three kegs of beer for fraternity events.

In September, UNL suspended the fraternity for four years on the heels of an investigation spurred by a former pledge.

Classen and eight other fraternity members were charged, and two former pledges filed lawsuits, one alleging Classen paid a stripper who sexually assaulted him with a sex toy at an off-campus party.

All but Classen got probation. In court Thursday, he stood before the judge, apologetic.

Looking back, he said, he made a countless number of serious mistakes. For one, he said, he didn't understand the dangers of underage drinking and did nothing to stop it.

"I struggle with this every day," Classen said.

As for the hazing, he said, he takes full responsibility for his actions, the egregious lack of judgment and poor decision-making.

"I never did any of it in an attempt to hurt anyone," Classen said.

He said he's tried to recenter his life and put himself on the right path. He's got a job, he's engaged, he's buying a house.

He said it's his greatest sadness that his actions led to people being emotionally hurt.

Classen's attorney, John Berry, asked the judge to keep in mind that his client is an Eagle Scout who earned scholarships to go to UNL. A man who volunteered at a hospital and got an alcohol evaluation after the charges were filed.

He said Classen readily admits he slapped a pledge -- something that was done to him when he was a pledge -- and "did some otherwise stupid things," like give a stripper money to do "something special" for one particular pledge.

While it may have been risky and unsafe and stupid, that contact was not necessarily illegal, he said.

"He had no idea she would do the things she did," Berry said, adding that exactly what happened is contested.

As president of the fraternity, Classen failed, Berry said, but he argued that his client's actions were no more egregious than the others involved.

Deputy County Attorney Amy Jacobsen disagreed.

Obviously, she said, Sigma Chi had a systemic problem, but Classen was at the center of it.

And, while she may not be able to prove sexual assault and no sexual assault charge was filed, she said there's no doubt in her mind it happened. Classen didn't do it, "but it happened as a result of his actions," she said.

And the hazing didn't end there, she said. No one helped him, and then there was a cover up, she said.

"A person has to be responsible for their actions and the results of their actions," Jacobsen said, asking for jail time.

Pokorny agreed, sentencing Classen to five days in jail and a $500 fine.

But first, he took issue with the notion he'd gotten in presentence interviews that the pledge who reported the conduct to police was a whiner, a complainer and that he alone blew what happened out of proportion.

"(The pledge) might have been the first to speak out, but he just opened the floodgate," Pokorny said.

A dozen or so others have acknowledged the pledge's narrative of a fraternity out of control under Classen's leadership, he said.

Pokorny recounted details of the fraternity's rituals of violence and drunkenness, all in the name of "character building," and expressed frustration by those who sat by while it happened. It takes courage to stand up to bullies and principle to defend the weaker, he said.

"It takes character. And the majority of upperclassmen in this organization didn't have it," Pokorny said.

Freshman year at a university should be a wonderful experience, a cornucopia of new people from different backgrounds and experiences, the judge said. Classen could have nurtured that.

Instead, Pokorny said, he chose to destroy it for Sigma Chi pledges.

http://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_7c9e4404-69ca-11df-b096-001cc4c002e0.html

For related stories go to:

Alleged hazing victim sues Sigma Chi (May 4, 2009)http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_a54cbea3-a615-58c2-8a78-2694c9237c99.html

Prosecutor: No sexual assault charge in Sigma Chi Case (September 11, 2009)http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_150eb6ee-9f12-11de-862c-001cc4c03286.html

UNLV suspends Sigma Chi for 4 years (September 15, 2009)http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_31732e7a-a221-11de-8a7a-001cc4c03286.html

Maine Sig Eps Rock Against Rape

Sexual assault faces the music
Portland rockers and student musicians perform at 8th annual Rock Against Rape


Tricia Holmes, The Maine Campus
Ryan Harris and Luke Finnemore performed at Rock Against Rape with the band “Two Days Later.”
By Kegan Zema

Falll weather didn’t stop people from gathering behind the University of Maine Field House for Sigma Phi Epsilon’s eighth annual Rock Against Rape. The concert, which raises awareness about sexual assault, featured Portland-based headliners Headstart and student bands Restless Groove and Two Days Later.

Adam Mullen, a fourth-year music student, organized the event and played lead guitar in Two Days Later.

“We’re trying to get as many people here as possible because we can give them the message that they may not hear when they’re in the dorms,” Mullen said. “They might not get out and hear about Spruce Run [a domestic abuse center] or Rape Response Services and what’s available to them.”

The concert, which does not raise any money, features speakers in between the musical acts. Noel March, University of Maine Public Safety police chief, provided staggering statistics about sexual assault at UMaine. According to March, seven cases were reported last year at UMaine, but this number represents one-tenth of cases are actually happen.

Tina Voigt, community outreach educator for Rape Response Services, spoke at the event as well.

“I go around to schools, businesses and obviously university concerts,” Voigt said. “We try to get to the root of the problem, as opposed to just treating the symptoms. We try to debunk the myths.”

Voigt praised the brothers of Sig Ep for supporting the cause as a group of men. She said she was glad they continue to hold the Rock Against Rape event and prove rape is not just a women’s issue.

Just as important as the message was the music. The crowd swayed to the ’90s rock sounds of Two Days Later, which featured two brothers from Sig Ep. The band played a mix of originals and songs that caused a little too much nostalgia, while singer James Gilmore’s vocals shined.

Restless Groove, another student band, brought the funk with them. Plenty of bass slapping and snappy guitar riffs got the audience moving in the frigid air.

Headstart, Portland’s Blink-182, even brought a posse from southern Maine to add to the Rock Against Rape crowd.

According to Mullen, budget cuts affected the show, but with student bands playing for free, the show was able to go on.

“We were able to find [Headstart] who rock pretty hard,” Mullen said. “I listen to them. I like their stuff. We had a couple openers scheduled that I also liked but they either broke up or they couldn’t do it.”

Mullen enjoyed himself on stage as well. He said he was less nervous about playing, and more nervous something would go wrong because he was in charge of the event.

“But when I’m on stage,” he added, “I’m there to entertain, I’m there to rock out and I’m there to have a good time.”

The concert was dedicated to Sig Ep brother Andrew Gerke who passed away last spring. While at UMaine, he helped organize a multitude of Rock Against Rape shows and was responsible for bringing some big names to the event, according to Mullen.

“He really touched a lot of people’s lives,” Mullen said. “I really, really felt that we need to [dedicate the concert] to him this year. I think he would have been very proud.”

Research the Frat Boy Image - Sex and You

Why Is the Frat Boy Culture So Sleazy and Sex-Crazed?
By Nicholas L. Syrett, National Sexuality Resource Center

In the late 1980s the Florida News Herald reported that a Florida State University student had been gang raped by some fraternity brothers. Allegedly, the attackers painted the Greek letters of their house on her thighs, symbolically claiming her as they had also claimed her through sexual assault.

In 2001 Dartmouth College's campus newspaper, The Dartmouth, published graphic excerpts from Zeta Psi’s weekly newsletters in which brothers described their sexual encounters:

"She’s baaaaackk. And she’s dirtier than ever[;] if young [female name] hooks up with one more Zete, I’m going to need a flow chart to keep up.”

"Commenting on [Brother B]’s chances for a highly-coveted spot in the Manwhore Hall of Shame, [Brother C] said, ‘Are you kidding me? Rancid snatch like that makes you a fucking lock.’”

"Next week: [Brother X]’s patented date rape techniques!”

These two examples -- a gang rape fraught with symbolism and the misogynist publication describing sexual exploits -- are clearly extreme, but both of them are the logical outcome of a culture of masculine supremacy and sexual exploitation that has made its home in some college fraternities since the 1920s. While most do not participate in such acts, there is ample evidence to show that many, if not most, fraternity members are expected to report on sex they have for the entertainment of their entire house. College fraternities -- currently numbering three hundred fifty thousand undergraduate brothers with more than four million alumni -- have become a haven for a masculinity that takes sexual conquest as one of its defining characteristics. Indeed, the social science literature of the past three decades has shown that fraternity men are more likely than their nonaffiliated classmates to rape women, and some studies have estimated that as many as 70 to 90 percent of reported campus gang rapes are committed by members of fraternities. This makes fraternities a dangerous place for the women who frequent their houses and attend their parties. In their sexist logic -- and in their own words -- "Brothers Over Babes" or "Bros Before Hos."

But fraternities and the men who join them have not always behaved this way. So where did the culture of sexual exploitation and masculine bragging come from? Clearly, the men’s behavior is a product of time, place, and cultural circumstance, not simply an instance of "boys will be boys." Nor is the behavior a natural outcome of all-male organizations, as even fraternities themselves have not always behaved this way.

Dating, 'Homosexuality,' and Frat Culture

In the early twentieth century two phenomena that we now take to be commonplace were invented. The first was dating and the second was homosexuality as a discrete identity category. Both have impacted fraternity culture. Dating arrived on college campuses in the 1920s. Fraternities, established a century earlier in the 1820s, and sororities, which had been founded on some college campuses by the 1870s, were the hubs of the collegiate dating scene. With rare exceptions fraternity men and sorority women dated each other in an exacting scale that was governed by each organization’s popularity. The reputations of the individual brothers and sisters and thus of their collective memberships were in part determined by whom they dated. Fraternity members were judged by their attractiveness, their charm, and by what they called "their line," the verbal method they used to make themselves appealing to young women. Popularity -- evaluated through dating women -- came to define a properly enacted collegiate masculinity. And fraternity men themselves knew this; they picked new members based on the perceived expectation of potential brothers to attract women. As Dartmouth’s Zeta Psi boasted in 1924, "Brother ‘Stan’ Lonsdale has improved the already magnificent reputation he had attained in past years as Lothario and Don Juan put together, and as representative in the chapter in all women’s colleges within a radius of several hundred miles."

This celebration of men’s attractiveness to women necessitated a concurrent demand that brothers themselves recognize what made a man attractive. They had to come to terms with themselves as men evaluating other men’s good looks.

In a world like that of the nineteenth century United States, where there was little recognition of a homosexual subculture and where most men could not conceive of a man whose sexual desires were centered exclusively on other men, this would not have been a problem. But by the 1920s fraternity men did not live in such a world. They still don’t. By the early twentieth century -- thanks to sexologists, Oscar Wilde, Sigmund Freud (and his popularizers), as well the very people who identified with the label "homosexual" or "invert" -- that some men were in fact attracted exclusively to other men was widely understood. It was also at this time that masculinity itself became yoked exclusively to heterosexuality in a decisive refutation of homosexuality.

Thus, at precisely the moment when fraternity men were becoming highly conscious of the characteristics that made males attractive to females, and were indeed evaluating their brothers based on these characteristics, they were simultaneously coming to terms with the possible meanings of these evaluations. They were also in the compromising position of being members of organizations that enrolled only single men, organizations that, through shared living, bathing, sleeping, and erotic hazing practices, fostered an atmosphere of camaraderie, intimacy, and loyalty that most found to be the fraternity’s biggest selling point.

They were caught between a rock and a hard place, even more so when some fraternities actually did turn out to be havens for homosexually inclined students, as my own research indicates, and as Dorothy Dunbar Bromley and Florence Haxton Britten found in their fascinating 1938 study, Youth and Sex. From the 1920s onwards fraternity men have responded to this dilemma with the enactment of particularly active dating and sexual lives designed to refute suspicions of homosexuality and to assert heterosexuality, and thus masculinity. These practices have only increased throughout the twentieth century, in part as a reaction to the intensified denigration of homosexuality at mid-century and as a result of the increasing sexual permissiveness of college women in the wake of the sexual revolution of the 1960s.

These were not conscious choices made by fraternity men, however. Rather, they were gradual changes over generations in response to cultural shifts like the advent of dating and the emergence of modern conceptions of homosexuality. It is also clear that these two phenomena are by no means exclusive to men in fraternities. That said, because fraternities remain organizations made up exclusively of single men, organizations that choose to haze their initiates in explicitly homoerotic ways and that foster an intimacy among men not common in society more generally, they compensate for what might be perceived by outsiders as either feminine or gay behavior by enacting a masculinity that takes aggressive heterosexuality as one of its constitutive elements. This often has adverse effects for the women with whom they interact.

Misogyny Rules when Sex Takes Center Stage

By the 1960s, as a result of the sexual revolution, college women were more willing to have sex before marriage. Fraternity men thus turned to them not just for dates but also for sex, rather than to the prostitutes and working-class women of earlier eras who had previously met their needs. In 1957 two sociologists found that fraternity members were particularly likely to have attempted to take advantage of their female dates, some using "menacing threats or coercive infliction of physical pain." Fraternity men in one 1960s study, despite having more sex than their nonaffiliated peers, expressed the highest rates of dissatisfaction because, in the estimation of the sociologists, the pressure upon them to have sex was so much greater. Finally, in 1967 sociologist Eugene Kanin concluded: "Erotic achievement is now evaluated by taking into account the desirability of the sex object and the nature of its acquisition. A successful ‘snow job’ on an attractive but reluctant female who may be rendered into a relatively dependable sex outlet and socially desirable companion is considerably more enhancing than an encounter with a prostitute or a ‘one night stand’ with a ‘loose’ reputation." Sex was being used explicitly to bolster a man’s reputation amongst his fraternity brothers.

By the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, fraternity men had built upon some of these traditions and elaborated others as well. For example, fraternities foster an atmosphere where long-term intimate relationships with women are actually discouraged. As Allen DeSantis has shown in his recent book, Inside Greek U, many fraternity men perceive their brothers’ girlfriends as a threat both to the time that the brothers might spend with the fraternity as well as to their loyalty to the brotherhood. Casual sex is valued more highly because it can be chronicled in a way that many are unwilling to do when it comes to the sex they have with girlfriends. Regular reporting on each member’s "conquests" further cements the bonds of brotherhood. This emphasis upon casual sex is part of a bigger problem, however. Social scientists have demonstrated that it places pressure on men who are not otherwise having sex to do so in order to save face, and this can lead to sexual assault. In order to ensure that brothers always have a steady supply of sexual partners, fraternities throw regular parties, often replete with grain alcohol punch. The parties are designed to supply intoxicated women who will either consent -- or succumb -- to sex.

Two other practices are also worthy of note. Some fraternity men take pleasure either in watching their brothers have sex with women or in being watched as they do so. One brother interviewed by anthropologist Michael Moffatt for his book Coming of Age in New Jersey put it this way: "When my friends pick up chicks and bring them back to the fraternity house everyone else runs to the window to look at somebody else domineer a girl and I tell you what you almost get the same satisfaction. Some of the guys like to put on a show by doing grosser things each time... Watching my friends have sex with other girls is almost as satisfying as doing it myself... By the same token I enjoy conquering girls and having people watch."

The view of women as objects of domination seems to preclude any understanding that women might be acting on their own desires. That they are exploiting these women -- regardless of the women’s own feelings or desires -- goes without saying for this brother. Indeed, he uses the verb "conquering" to describe what seems to be otherwise consensual sex. Finally, some brothers simply compete with each other to see who can have the most sexual encounters in a year. Like the infamous Spur Posse of 1990s Lakewood, California, these men keep a tally to determine who is the winner in a competition that has little with to do with the pleasure that may be gained from sexual acts themselves, and everything to do with bolstering one’s self-esteem and reputation through the perceived connections between masculinity and sexual exploitation. It is predicated on a double standard that sees women as lesser than men and as possessing something that must be coerced from them.

This version of sexually aggressive masculinity is not inevitable. The first generation of fraternity men would not have recognized it because they did not live in a world that denigrated their intimacy or encouraged them to prove their masculinity through sexual conquest, at least not to the degree that we see today. Of course not all fraternity men necessarily practice it, and just how many of them subscribe to this version of masculinity is impossible to calculate. That said, it should not surprise us that the structure and the historical context of the fraternity give rise to this phenomenon: an all-male organization intent on proving masculinity in a world where masculinity is seen as antithetical to intimacy amongst men, because that intimacy is too often understood to be "gay." Until fraternity men learn to be more comfortable with the intimacy fostered through the bonds of brotherhood without demanding its concurrent disavowal through homophobia and the conquest of women, it seems unlikely that women will be much safer on college campuses with active Greek populations.

http://www.alternet.org/story/140416/

© 2009 National Sexuality Resource Center All rights reserved.

UC Davis Greeks Take Class in Sexual Assault Prevention

Sexual assault awareness and prevention class educates UC Davis Greeks
Sorority member honored for developing curriculum
Written by ANNA OPALKA

Kingsley Grafft, a UC Davis sorority member, developed a sexual assault prevention and awareness curriculum that's being taught on campus and emulated at other universities nationwide.

The course, Greeks Against Sexual Assault (GASA), aims to eliminate sexual and dating violence by raising awareness and prevention. It is a pass/no pass class offered as a seminar through the UC Davis education department.

Grafft, a senior American studies major and member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, received the 2008 Order of Omega Award of Excellence and a 2008 Human Corps Community Service Golden Award at UC Davis for creating the program. She was also named 2008 UC Davis Sister of the Year by the Sacramento Alumnae Panhellenic Association and the 2008 UC Davis Greek Woman of the Year for her involvement.

"[GASA has been] really successful at Davis, way more than I ever thought it would be," said Grafft, who developed the curriculum in spring 2007. "I think it's become a staple of the Greek community."

Working as an intern under Shawna Stratton of the Campus Violence Prevention Program, Grafft was asked to try to increase Greek turnout at campus anti-violence events.

Grafft began to research ways to get UC Davis fraternities and sororities involved in the fight against sexual assault and dating violence on college campuses. She found that Colorado State University had a yearlong Greek sexual assault prevention program, but thought a quarter-long class would be more effective at UC Davis.

So Grafft wrote a syllabus and lecture notes, basing some aspects of the course on Stratton's "Violence Against Women" class, which Grafft was previously enrolled in. After spending a summer finalizing the lesson plan, she launched the first class in fall 2007.

The rate of sexual violence is high among college students; approximately one in four college women has been sexually assaulted, according to a 2000 study by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

Through her research, Grafft found that the rates are even higher in the Greek community.

"10.3 percent of college rapes happen at a fraternity house," Grafft said, citing the DOJ study.

"This wasn't to say the fraternity men were being the assailants by any means," Grafft said. "But because the rates were so high, I felt like the [Greek] community would want to know and make a change."

And they did. This is currently the third quarter that GASA is being offered.

Senior history major Danny Garrett, who serves on GASA's advisory board, said in an e-mail that GASA is "not only a means to educate Greeks about the dangers of sexual assault but it is also a commitment by the chapters of Davis to prevent these crimes from happening within our community."

GASA is discussion-based and includes many real-life examples from the news, and is run and taught through the Campus Violence Prevention Program. The curriculum includes issues such as what constitutes sexual assault, why people don't report it and what Greeks can do if they learn someone has been assaulted.

"By not being generalized and focusing on the Greek community, it brings things closer to home," said Jeremy Turner, who is an adviser for Alpha Gamma Rho and develops GASA's website.

At the end of the quarter, students take the information and resources that they've learned and present it to their fraternity or sorority.

GASA's influence doesn't stop there. Recently, about seven other universities nationwide have followed suit, either using the UC Davis curriculum or using it to supplement their already-existing programs. Other schools regularly e-mail Grafft expressing interest in involvement.

"I think it's a trend people are catching on to," Grafft said.

During the first quarter GASA was offered, Grafft noticed that many students were unsure of how to respond when they were given real-life scenarios. As a result, she decided to write a "Sexual Assault Response Plan," which she sent to every Panhellenic and IFC chapter at UC Davis.

The response plan includes detailed information on what sexual assault is and what to do if a friend is assaulted or if an incident occurs at an event. It also provides medical information and numbers to call for help.

"I wanted to provide [chapters] with the resources more than anything - that was my goal," Grafft said.

Ian Doyle, a senior economics major and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity said he learned a lot from GASA and encouraged people to sign up, adding that he is better equipped to know how to help someone if they have been assaulted.

"It was a really enlightening class," he said. "Most people aren't really taught much about rape - it's one of those things pretty much left unsaid."

Doyle said although GASA has just started, he thinks it has already made a positive difference, and will continue to grow in years to come.

"I've been able to see at least in my house with the little population I'm around - [GASA's] made an impact in a [positive] way," he said.

Grafft said that as more and more responsible Greeks gain awareness, everyone will benefit.

"[Sexual assault] is not something that is usually talked about because it's a sensitive issue," Grafft said. "I think if you don't talk about it, the problem gets worse."

Current GASA coordinator Edie Campbell-Urban, a junior communication major and Pi Beta Phi sorority member, will keep the program running after Grafft graduates.

Campbell- Urban said she wants to keep increasing enrollment in the class.
"It can take as little as one person to get the word out," Campbell-Urban said in an e-mail. "Talking to peers is the best way to reduce sexual violence."

Students who want to become more involved can join the organization Students Against Sexual Violence, Grafft said.

For more information, visit gasanow.org.

ANNA OPALKA can be reached at features@theaggie.org.