Andrea Cooper discusses prominence of rape in Greek Life

Fraternity men are three times more likely to commit sexual assault.

By Jessica Silverman

Published Oct. 2, 2009

Rape, depression and suicide awareness speaker Andrea Cooper left campus with one final note on raising awareness: Sexual assault is more prominent in the Greek community.

"It just absolutely makes me sick to have to say this because I'm so pro-Greek but I'm also knowledgeable and realistic," Cooper said. "I do know that the majority of rapes on college campuses are perpetrated by athletes and fraternities."

John D. Foubert, author and associate professor at Oklahoma State University, said fraternity men are three times more likely to commit sexual assault than non-fraternity men. Athletes and men in the military are also high-risk groups.

"It's the group mentality when a bunch of men get together with alcohol," Cooper said. "Even though drinking goes on on college campuses, it's getting caught up in the culture. It's just like hazing."

Cooper said to prevent sexual assault in the Greek community, fraternities could try to bring in speakers like herself.

"I'm not sure how much that changes behavior," Cooper said. "Unfortunately we don't have a way of following up on that. A speaker is one way to start, but it's a small drop in the pond. You have to have follow up after."

Cooper said fraternities should also elect good officers and not vote based on popularity.

"I know the fraternities at the fraternity leadership conventions try as a national organization to educate their men," Cooper said. "They try so hard and spend so much money, especially on anti-hazing. It may be easier to educate within sororities."

Cooper said sororities could get good advisers who try to help educate women about sexual assault.

"If a woman is sexually assaulted, let it be known in the sorority," Cooper said. "Someone can try to help her."

Danica Pape, Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center co-coordinator and president of Phi Alpha, Chi Delta Chapter, said the Greek community already started to raise awareness this year.

"We have done mass education about bystander intervention and how to help a survivor," Pape said. "We have been giving presentations to individual chapters on request as well as educating the Greek Leadership Learning Community in Jones Hall."

Pape said Kristin's Story sparked the desire for one fraternity to partner with the RSVP Center to offer self-defense classes for women in the Greek Community.

Sigma Sigma Sigma senior Elyse Greci said she feels safe on campus, though at a party she'd feel less safe.

"I don't go to many parties," Greci said. "I've never been to a frat party. I joined a sorority last year as a junior because of my four best friends. I wanted more girlfriends."

Greci said she didn't join Sigma Sigma Sigma to party.

"I know how I like to hang out," Greci said. "That's all a matter of self-control and confidence you have in yourself. I don't feel any pressure whatsoever."

Cooper said sexual assault prevention within a sorority is hard because women begin drinking away from home.

"They go away and start drinking," Cooper said. "It's certainly not their fault that they've been drinking. Unfortunately when alcohol gets into these things, the safety of these young women is compromised."

Cooper said there's a problem with men in general thinking sexual assault is a woman's fault if she's intoxicated.

At fraternity conferences, the speakers would be honest with the men, Cooper said.

"They'll lay it on the line and say, 'You complain about the bad press you get, but look at what you're doing. You've got to start cleaning house inside,'" Cooper said. "That's why I'll admit it. We do have a problem. We need to address it and do something about it."