Fraternity Gang Rape

Of 24 documented cases of alleged gang rape by college students, fraternity men perpetrated 13. The problem of group sexual assault on college campuses mainly occurs in an environment where group behavior and acceptance is important to the men involved, i.e. fraternities (Bechhofer & Parrot 144). Looking at the environment surrounding this type of group one can see what causes the prevalence of this type of assault in fraternities. Why does this violence occur within these groups and how is it handled? The dynamics involved in the fraternity’s system causes a “group-think” mentality that promotes and sometimes causes group sexual assault. This group influence, along with the fraternity’s selection of men and their adherence to traditional sex role stereotypes reinforces myths of acceptable behavior in men and women and how these play a role concerning consequences.

Specific dynamics come into play when discussing how groups of people who might not otherwise act individually take part in sexual assaults with other members of their group. The theory of diffusion of responsibility suggests that in situations where the presence of others acting in a similar fashion diminishes the feeling of responsibility any individual feels for the harmful consequences of his or her own behavior” (Bechhofer & Parrot ed. 147-148). With respect to fraternities, the brother feels less like his own self and more like he is just participating in something that all his “brothers” are doing as well. They share the blame. A fraternity brother begins to think of the activity as something his “brothers” are doing and joins in under the influence of a shared activity. Other things may play into the idea that the assailant is not acting alone and is not solely responsible for his actions.

Deindividuation is a theory of group behavior that refers to a state of loss of self-awareness, including awareness of one’s beliefs, attitudes, and self-standards. This promotes group spirit. In fraternities, Alcohol is used to get group consensus by allowing an escape from one’s self-consciousness. Group loyalty will also cause people in a group to deindividualize by taking on the group’s identity (Bechhofer & Parrot 148).

In an environment such as a fraternity where incoming pledges are looking to be accepted by a group of men who have the power to reject them, they are ...

... middle of paper ...

...3

Hirsch, Kathleen. Fraternities of fear—Gang rape, male bonding, and the silencing of women. Ms.; Vol. 1; pp. 52-6; S-O 1990.

Hummer, Robert A. and Patricia Yancey Martin. “Fraternities and Rape on Campus.” Violence Against Women the Bloody Footprints. Ed. Pauline B. Bart and Eileen Geil Moran. California: SAGE Publications, Inc., 1993. 114-129.

Koss, Mary P.; Cleveland III, Hobart H. Commentary: Athletic participation, fraternity membership, and date rape: The question remains--self-selection or different causal processes? VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN,V.2, NO.2, JUNE, pp. 180- 190; 1996. ISSN: 1077-8012

Sanday, Peggy Reeves. Fraternity gang rape: sex, brotherhood, and privilege on campus. New York: New York University Press, c1990.

Sanday, Peggy Reeves Commentary: Rape-prone versus rape-free campus cultures. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, V.2, NO.2, JUNE, pp. 191-208; 1996. ISSN 1077-8012

Schwartz, Martin D.; Nogrady, Carol A. Fraternity membership, rape myths, and sexual aggression on a college campus. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, V.2, NO.2, JUNE, pp. 148-162; 1996. ISSN: 1077-8012