by Kristy George, USP Intern
Fraternity and sorority life is a defining aspect of many college campuses, with millions of students joining Greek letter organizations nationwide. There are approximately 13 colleges in Maryland participating in fraternity and sorority life. Many students are drawn to these organizations for the sense of community, leadership, and belonging they provide.
Alcohol causes impaired judgement and increases aggression, causing it to be a major risk factor in sexual violence. Even though eliminating the drinking culture is unrealistic, universities can improve the safety of fraternity and sorority events by enforcing policies, promoting accountability, and fostering open discussions about responsible behaviors. Prevention strategies, such as bystander intervention training, can also help students, including members of Greek letter organizations, recognize warning signs to intervene before harm occurs (Napper et al., 2024).
Another issue within Greek Life is hazing, which is defined within the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act of 2024 as: “any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person… against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization…causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk” (H.R.5646). Hazing reflects the same power imbalances and coercive dynamics seen in sexual violence (Stop Hazing, 2025). Combined with party culture, hookup culture, and alcohol, these dynamics can create an unsafe environment and impact students’ understanding of boundaries and consent (Our Wave, 2022).
It is vital to keep in mind that Greek-affiliated students have unique social norms, and, as a result, interventions should be tailored to Greek culture. One possible solution is to educate chapter leadership or designate a well-educated individual on sexual violence to help cultivate a safe environment for all members and guests within the organization. Many Greek Life chapters receive training and education on anti-sexual violence, but it is important to update the information and ensure that the training is relevant.
As campuses increasingly recognize the critical role of men, especially fraternity members, in challenging harmful norms and modeling consent, man have expanded anti-sexual violence efforts, including the Ten Terp Plan on Sexual Assault Prevention. This facilitated dialogue program aims to shift Greek Life culture by building sorority and fraternity members’ bystanding intervention skills and confidence to reduce violence (Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life, University of Maryland, n.d.). The program also designed chapter-specific presentations that deepen understanding of power-based violence, rape culture, the reporting process and trauma awareness (Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life, University of Maryland, n.d.).
Other universities working towards sexual violence prevention include Loyola University with their Step Up! Bystander Intervention program. As part of this program, students participate in workshops that improve students' bystander-intervention skills to reduce sexual assault, stalking, and relationship violence (Loyola University Maryland, n.d.). The university also requires all first-year students to participate in online sexual assault prevention training and understanding consent (Loyola University Maryland, n.d.).
Sexual violence remains a concern in fraternity and sorority life, where cultural norms, power dynamics, alcohol use, and hazing can increase risk and impact accountability. Effective prevention includes culturally specific strategies, strong leadership, and education. University initiatives, such as the University of Maryland’s Ten Terp and Loyola University’s Step Up! Program, demonstrate how bystander intervention and consent training can promote safer Greek communities.
References
Emsley, K. (2022, December 19). Let’s Get Greek: Sexual Assault Trends Within College Greek Life. Our Wave. Retreived here.
Fraternity and Sorority Life. (n.d.). Sexual Assault Prevention. University of Maryland: Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Retreived here.
H.R.5646 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Stop Campus Hazing Act. (2024, December 23). Retrieved here.
Kingree, J. B., & Thompson, M. P. (2017). Sorority membership and sexual victimization. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(24), 3875-3898. Retrieved here.
Loyola University Maryland. (n.d.). Education & awareness. Office of Title IX and Bias Compliance. Retrieved here.
Maryland Higher Education Commission. (2024). Report on campus climate and sexual violence at Maryland colleges and universities (Vol. 1). Retrieved here.
Office of Civil Rights & Sexual Misconduct. (n.d.). Student sexual misconduct data. University of Maryland. Retrieved here.
Stop Hazing. (2025, July). Power Dynamics & Hazing: HAZING film addendum. Retrieved here.
