Sexual assault and misconduct are all too familiar within the Greek system.
A recent study conducted by UN Women found that 97% of women in the United Kingdom have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces. The study sparked a social media movement over the past week that has brought a lot of needed attention to sexual assault survivors.
Infographics with the phrase “not all men, but almost all women” were shared over Instagram like wildfire.
The phrase makes the comparison between men being defensive when generalized as sexual assaulters and women who have experienced some form of sexual misconduct.
No matter how you look at it, the numbers are appalling. Though they are representative of the UK and not the United States, I’m willing to bet sexual harassment statistics aren’t all that great here.
Comparably, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 18.3% of US women have been victims of rape.
Though sexual harassment and rape are almost in two different wheelhouses, both statistics are alarmingly disgusting.
It’s all too easy for men to feel like this problem is a world away. I can’t recall how many times I’ve heard men discredit survivors’ experiences for x, y, z reasons. In reality, the issue is closer to home than a lot of people, especially men, are willing to admit.
The national Greek system has perpetuated, platformed and done little to prevent this issue. Fraternities across the nation have faced and been shut down due to sexual harassment, assault and rape.
According to the Guardian, fraternity members are 300% more likely to rape and one in five women are sexually assaulted on campus. Furthermore, 25% of sorority members surveyed by the National Institute of Justice have been sexually assaulted as compared to 14% of nonvictims being sorority members.
It’s clear there’s a common theme.
Fraternities have been suspected to be sexual assault cesspools for decades. Outside of the common stereotype, it is no secret that fraternity members have a horrible history of sexual misconduct. However, it feels like nothing ever gets done.
Alpha Epsilon Pi of Penn State University was suspended in January 2020 after facing 4 sexual assault allegations, according to CNN. The chapter has since been unsuspended.
Though our own Greek system hasn’t made national headlines for sexual harassment, assault or rape—that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
As a member of a fraternity myself, I find it disgusting that it’s even feasible for similar events to happen on our campus. I find it even more disappointing that so many men within our community are so quick to invalidate survivors’ experiences.
Maybe it isn’t all men who commit these heinous crimes, but the fact that it’s more than one is disgusting enough. It’s hard to fathom how many women on this campus and across the nation have been victims of sexual misconduct.
Nonetheless, a serious, serious change is needed. Not just within the national Greek system, but within the entire way men treat women.
Carter Kolpitcke can be reached at [email protected] or @carterkolpitcke on Twitter
Piper
This is a heartbreaking article and I appreciate your perspective as a fraternity member who stands up against SA and likely acts to dismantle to patriarchy from the inside, so thank you, from a sorority member.