SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
The alleged gang rape of a Cornell student at a fraternity house in 2024 has reignited the debate about Greek life on college campuses. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, recently sued the fraternity where she was allegedly raped. She also sued her own sorority for failing to protect her from harm. It's the latest high-profile case involving sexual assault allegations at a campus fraternity house. History tells us it is unlikely to be the last. So what role does the Greek system play in causing harm on college campuses, and what should sororities and fraternities be doing to keep students safe?
Journalist Alexandra Robbins spent years reporting on Greek life from within fraternity and sorority houses. She's the author of "Pledged: The Secret Life Of Sororities" and also "Fraternity: An Inside Look At A Year Of College Boys Becoming Men." Alexandra, thank you for taking the time to talk with us about this.
ALEXANDRA ROBBINS: Thank you for having me.
PFEIFFER: Because you have spent so much time thinking and writing about Greek life, I'm particularly interested in what you thought when you heard about this case.
ROBBINS: I think that while we shouldn't apply the characteristics of this fraternity chapter in particular to all fraternity chapters, this Cornell case is an appalling example of the kind of dangerous group norms that can develop within this kind of culture. It shows how loyalty to the group, for example, can outweigh student safety.
PFEIFFER: Obviously, sexual assault does not just happen at fraternities, but I am interested what role you think fraternities and sororities play in the problem of sex assault on college campuses.
ROBBINS: There are a couple ways to respond to that. One is that the national sororities kind of put their members into the fraternity spaces without necessarily instituting protocols that would help keep these 18-, 19-, 20-year-old sisters safe. They match the sisters with fraternities. They encourage dating fraternity members. And then within the chapter, they might encourage hooking up with fraternity brothers. And I think another way to respond to that is that the fraternities control the party space. Sorority houses are typically 100% dry. Fraternity houses are, as we've seen, not necessarily dry. And that gets into one of the deeper issues that can lead to trouble.
PFEIFFER: There has been, over the last decade or so, much more of a focus on the issue of sex assault on college campuses. Do you feel like because of that, sororities and fraternities are feeling a stronger obligation to keep students safe and actually doing something about that?
ROBBINS: I think some chapters definitely are. More chapters than in prior years have developed cultures that decry sexual violence. Many fraternity brothers I interviewed were frustrated that simply because they belonged to a fraternity, they were often associated with the stigma of what they called the rapey (ph) chapters.
Oliver (ph), one of the brothers I followed for a year, belonged to a fraternity chapter that was vigilant about sexual assault prevention. They had a mandatory number of sober monitors at every event who made sure that party guests didn't get too drunk and didn't get into what Oliver called gray-area hookup situations. And when the brothers spotted what they thought could be one of those situations, even if it involved one of their own brothers, Oliver and his brothers actively intervened to keep students safe. So that is happening at some chapters across the country.
PFEIFFER: And what should sororities do?
ROBBINS: Oh, boy. So sororities need to place less of an emphasis on matching with fraternity brothers in the first place. There are plenty of other groups of men on campus that don't necessarily have as many risk factors as fraternities do. I think that sober sisters are an important part of parties, just like Oliver's chapter had sober monitors. And I think they need to be more aware about what happens when you go into a fraternity house where alcohol is being served.
PFEIFFER: What about for parents who are quite wary about their kids, especially their daughters, taking part in Greek life? It's hard to know how much influence a parent has over a kid, but what advice do you have for those moms and dads?
ROBBINS: There is a database now that lists hazing events per chapter that are reported. So that's something parents can take a look at. I think open discussions about alcohol use are necessary, even if you're a high schooler headed to college, haven't gotten drunk yet, as far as you know. I would be careful about chapters that emphasize conformity, which is something you can see during recruitment. Those chapters might be more likely to focus on group norms, and it's the groupthink that can get people into trouble.
PFEIFFER: That is journalist and author Alexandra Robbins. Thank you for your time.
ROBBINS: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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