Zoey Freedman: Sexual assault is not limited to, does not reflect Greek life
By Zoey Freedman
April 10, 2015 4:12 p.m.
To an outsider looking in, Greek life appears to possess countless negative qualities: binge drinking, hazing, elitism, racism and most prominently, sexual assault.
Recently, cases of sexual assault at universities all across the country have resulted in Greek organization names plastered across newspaper headlines. Although the specific fraternity members involved have rightfully made the news and faced the necessary repercussions, it should be those individuals alone who are punished for their unspeakable actions, not the national organizations they’re a part of.
I don’t think it’s accurate to conclude that sexual assault is a systematic result of Greek organizations as an institution. While one member’s heinous actions are often assumed to reflect their organization as a whole, it’s vital to remember that organizations are comprised of individuals with their own morals, who are responsible for their own actions. Sexual assault should not define these national organizations, whose age-old traditions based in brotherhood and lifelong relationships are meant to better people, not make them worse.
Sexual assault is a horrendously prominent issue on college campuses as a whole, not just on frat row. Sexual assault happens in dorm rooms, on campus, in apartments and in locker rooms, not solely in locations bearing Greek letters. Rather than directing focus only toward punishing and evaluating fraternities, universities need to focus on their Title IX programs and on providing efficient reporting systems where survivors of sexual assault can come forward knowing their university will take investigative action.
It’s easy to use fraternities as a scapegoat for all issues related to sexual assault that occur on a university’s campus, in order to avoid the bigger issue at hand. “Reevaluating” the role of Greek organizations on campus allows universities to pretend to take action against sexual assault by making Greek life look like its only cause.
This is a harmful approach. It’s harmful to survivors, it’s harmful to campus culture and it’s harmful to Greek organizations.
In the haste to point fingers and blame Greek life, it’s easy to overlook the effect this has on the thousands of members of various Greek organizations experiencing the backlash that follows one individual’s actions. It’s also easy to overlook the fact that nothing is being done for the survivors of sexual assault whose attackers were not in fraternities at all.
The current approach of scrutinizing fraternities leaves Greek organizations diminished and sexual assault still prevalent. Sexual assault is happening regardless of Greek life, and universities need to adjust their focus in order to actually find a solution that will put an end to it.
