Frat Houses in USA – rape on campus

Hearing about the increasing incidence of rape on University Campuses in Australia I was concerned. I watched the documentary “Brave Miss World” which addresses the issue of undisclosed rape. There is a high incidence of rape in University Campuses throughout the USA. There was a story of one young woman who was raped on campus and she did not report it or tell her family, because it was a source of family pride that family members had attended the same University for generations – like a rite of passage. She was worried about the impact her disclosure would have on the respect and pride they held for their chosen University.

“Hazing” for the young men starting University:

As a new male student in a new environment, the need to belong is a powerful driving force behind their decisions and actions in the early stages of their University life. Belonging to a fraternity is something that is “sold” as a powerful brotherhood, which provides belonging and a level of protection that will result in success and powerful connections that will impact their future careers or business pursuits.

Part of the hazing process is to invite girls into the Frat House with a clear intent (but not necessarily expressed to the girls before their arrival) to have sex. Remembering that the girls are most likely new to the University and they crave acceptance and the desire to belong too.

The girls who accept the invitation to visit the Frat House are seen as:

• The fulfillment of the requirements for successful transition into the brotherhood, or
• The barrier to success – not as a woman with rights or feelings. Her willing entrance into the Frat House is deemed as her permission.

The inductee’s goal is clear – he has already been conditioned to do whatever is asked of him in order to gain acceptance, no matter how humiliating or degrading. This is acceptance at any cost – even at the cost of his life.

Rape may be a violation of his own values and beliefs, but his brothers are looking on and goading him. In the back of his mind:

• He knows that each of them has fulfilled these conditions themselves and
• He admires, respects and wants to be like them, so
• He has to do what they have done in order to gain their approval and
• As far as he is aware no-one has faced consequences in the past.

Failure to rape or violate the woman results in:

• A threat to the man’s masculinity,
• Threat to the security of the Frat House and its traditions and culture,
• Puts into question what has happened in the past and would require the existing Frat brothers to admit and take responsibility for their behavioural choices in the past, most likely resulting in legal consequences,
• Represents a major threat to the substantial financial support received by the University from former brotherhood students.
• Personal threat to the new inductee – not belonging and opposition from the entire brotherhood, now and in the future.

It seems that the idea of “fun” for the established Fraternity is:

• Getting inductees drunk (even if they didn’t drink before)
• Humiliating new inductees,
• The sexual conquest of women with or without consent and point scoring.

Frat houses USA quote:

Yale University Public chant – the pledges of the Delta Kappa Eosilon Fraternity – “No means yes, yes means anal.” Shouting it in an area where freshmen women live.