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13 Racism, Sexism, and Aggression: A Study of Black and White Fraternities
- The University Press of Kentucky
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Racism, Sexism, and Aggression 363 363 13 Racism, Sexism, and Aggression A Study of Black and White Fraternities Tyra Black, Joanne Belknap, and Jennifer Ginsburg Rape has been cited as the most prevalent serious crime on college campuses.1 Numerous studies report that college women are at significant risk of being raped,2 and in a study of college men, one third of those questioned admitted that they would rape a woman if they knew they could get away with it.3 In the past two decades,a considerable amount of research has documented the problem of rape in fraternities.4 This chapter summarizes that research, which has been conducted almost exclusively within the white Greek system.5 We then report the findings of our study on fraternities and aggression, the only one to date that included the black Greek system.6 The White Greek System ALCOHOL CULTURE IN THE WHITE GREEK SYSTEM A significant factor in the relationship between fraternities and rape is alcohol consumption. Large-scale studies of white Greek and non-Greek men and women on college campuses indicate that white Greek men drink significantly more than any other group, white Greek women drink more than white non-Greek women, and white non-Greek men and white Greek women consume similar levels of alcohol.7 Similarly, although white sororities and fraternities both have some moderate drinkers,heavy drinkers are far more common in fraternities than in sororities.8 For example,white Greek men are more likely than white Greek women to have been binge drinkers in high school.9 White men who pledge white fraternities report significantly higher alcohol consumption in high school than those who do not pledge,10 and white Greek men and women report significantly lower rates of alcohol-related risks (e.g., negative brownchap13.pmd 1/11/2005, 4:03 PM 363 364 Tyra Black, Joanne Belknap, and Jennifer Ginsburg behavioral effects resulting from excessive alcohol use) than do white nonGreek students.11 According to one study on white fraternities, drinking alcohol and getting high on drugs often serve as social aides in helping men find sexual partners.12 In one study of white Greeks, both sorority and fraternity members reported that the opposite sex’s consumption of alcohol made them “sexier.” Even the mere presence of alcohol, regardless of its consumption, triggers the initiation of sex among white college students.13 Furthermore, men are more likely to initiate sex when the woman has consumed alcohol. Stated another way, alcohol -drinking women are perceived to be more“sexually available”than women who are not drinking alcohol.14 Some research has examined how individuals assess blame when sexual abuse occurs in the context of a dating relationship, particularly in terms of alcohol consumption by the victim, the offender, or both.15 One such study used vignettes (written scenarios) and had the study participants rate the victims ’ culpability for rape; it found that male and female college students were most likely to hold victims accountable for rape when the victims were intoxicated .16 Another study of women aged twenty-one to twenty-nine used dating vignettes depicting various sexual victimization risks; it found that although the women “recognized the potential danger of sexual aggression [in dating relationships], this recognition frequently was overridden by a desire to facilitate the relationship, and/or a belief that any potential sexual aggression had to be successfully managed.”17 Abbey, however, states the importance of acknowledging that alcohol does not cause rape; rather, alcohol consumption by men increases the likelihood that they will (1) misperceive friendly behavior by women as sexual advances and (2) find it easier to force sex on their female companions when they (the men) are sexually aroused.18 To fully understand the role of alcohol in the white Greek setting, it is helpful to examine the use of alcohol at parties. Research indicates that alcohol consumption is a significant aspect of socializing in the white Greek system on college campuses,and drinking is heaviest at white Greek social events.19 Not surprisingly, heavy alcohol consumption is most likely among white fraternity pledges when they perceive alcohol as a valued way to socialize.20 Research on white fraternity rape and date rape shows a strong association between alcohol or drug consumption and sexual victimization.21 In particular,research on white Greeks indicates that drunkenness or drug use fosters a rape climate by suggesting that a man who rapes when he is high or drunk is not responsible...