Prevention campaign targets frats

Wednesday, October 28, 1998

Prevention campaign targets frats

AWARENESS: NBC, UCLA team up to fight college apathy toward date
rape

By Chauntelle Anne Tibbals

Daily Bruin Contributor

On Tuesday, David Schwimmer of NBC’s sitcom "Friends" spoke
about the role of men in rape prevention.

The National Broadcasting Company, in collaboration with the
Santa Monica-UCLA Rape Treatment Center, unveiled the next step in
their "The More You Know" public service campaign.

Featuring Schwimmer, this segment will address the use of "date
rape" drugs and the preventative responsibilities of
bystanders.

"(We are working on) making guys know that it is OK to flirt,
party and have sex, but it is not OK to stand by or not intercede,"
Schwimmer said.

Due to a higher number of reported rape cases involving "date
rape" drugs, Gail Abarbanel, director of the Rape Treatment Center,
formulated the initial objectives of this campaign.

"We have a responsibility to act on what we know. In order to
prevent rape, we must reach the men who commit the crimes,"
Abarbanel said.

The announcement will be aired during NBC programs expected to
have a larger number of male viewers.

With the assistance of the National Interfraternity Conference,
the announcement has been targeted at fraternity members.

"We want to make it clear to members of fraternities that (rape)
is a completely unacceptable behavior," said Jonathan Brant,
president of the National Interfraternity Conference (NIC). "It is
our goal to make sure students on this campus – especially students
in fraternities and sororities – have a safe, fruitful college
experience."

Six hundred copies of the original announcement, supplemented
with an additional, more specific message from Schwimmer aimed at
fraternity members, will be given to chapter houses across the
country.

"We want (fraternity members) to have the skills and the courage
to intervene in (a rape situation)," Brant said.

When asked why this new campaign focused specifically on
fraternities and sororities rather than on the average college
student, Abarbanel said, "We are looking for an effective way to
reach men. We felt that the structure of fraternities was a good
place to begin."

Two UCLA students belonging to the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity,
which donates money to the Rape Treatment Center, said they were
offended by the campaign.

"I found everything the NIC said offensive. They did nothing
today to dispel negative stereotypes of fraternities," said Scott
Revlin, a fifth-year history and psychology student.

"I have never heard of anyone using date rape drugs. They are
just targeting fraternities because we are the most visible group,"
he added.

Scott Warner, a second-year economics student, believes "it is
not a particularly innovative campaign, but it has a valid
point.

"They should mention that this is a problem relevant to all
college men, not just fraternity men," he added.

Loyola Marymount University (LMU) fraternity chapters are also
involved with the Rape Treatment Center. Students belonging to
LMU’s Sigma Chi chapter were present at the event.

"We decided years ago that (the Santa Monica Medical Center’s
Rape Treatment Center) would be a good organization for our
philanthropy work," said Steven Schmidt, a third-year LMU film
student.

However, as a member of the UCLA community, Revlin said, "I did
not identify at all with anything said today."

Comments, feedback, problems?

© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]