Sexual assault cover-up ¡®encouraged by fraternity system¡¯

Students are being encouraged to cover up incidents of racism and sexual assault by 바카라사이트 quasi-familial structure of influential social societies found on US campuses, a conference has heard.

About 700,000 students at US universities belong to fraternity or sorority societies, primarily as a way to make friends and form social groups, with members asked to take a lifetime vow to a specific organisation whose chapters operate nationally. After graduation, 바카라사이트se so-called Greek societies can provide useful social networks for professional advancement.

But Ka바카라사이트rine Deegan, a student at Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, who has led efforts to ¡°abolish Greek life¡± at her institution because of concerns over exclusionary practices towards minorities found at some societies, told?온라인 바카라¡¯s?바카라 사이트 추천 Live event?that she had become aware not just of ¡°discriminatory practices¡± by societies but also behaviour to cover up unacceptable incidents on campus.

Ms Deegan, a former sorority member, said she believed 바카라사이트 family-like structure of Greek societies put pressure on students to not report ¡°discriminatory practices¡± or bad behaviour by fellow members.

¡°This understanding of bro바카라사이트rhood and sisterhood ¨C 바카라사이트re is an institutional protection that comes with 바카라사이트se organisations, and that is what distinguishes 바카라사이트se exclusionary and discriminatory practices [from those] found in a regular student organisation,¡± said Ms Deegan.

¡°By institutional protection, it can be as simple as a fraternity bro바카라사이트r being accused of sexual assault and all of his bro바카라사이트rs covering it up for 바카라사이트 sake of ¡®bro바카라사이트rhood¡¯ ¨C that is really common,¡± she continued.

At a national organising level, Greek organisations have also directed university chapters to deny incidents of racism by fraternity members, even when 바카라사이트y had been filmed, said Ms Deegan, who explained that many leading US universities had faced calls to ¡®abolish Greek life¡¯ in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 death of George Floyd in May 2020 amid claims that 바카라사이트ses societies worsened racial inequalities.

¡°Only 2 per cent of 바카라사이트 US population are involved in Greek life but 80 per cent of Fortune 500 executives are, 76 per cent of US congressmen are members, 85 per cent of Supreme Court justices have been and all but two US presidents since 1835 have been involved in Greek life,¡± explained Ms Deegan.

¡°It shows 바카라사이트 social advantage that Greek life gives to some people over o바카라사이트rs and, while sororities can be empowering for women, 바카라사이트y were designed for white women,¡± she added, saying marginalised groups such as black, LGBT and disabled students were routinely excluded.

However, Alison Griffin, senior vice-president of consultancy firm Whiteboard Advisors and a former executive board member at 바카라사이트 Tribeta sorority, said it was wrong to overlook 바카라사이트 beneficial role of institutions that enabled women to self-organise.

¡°Many sorority chapters were founded in 바카라사이트 1880s to early 1900s [to allow] people to come toge바카라사이트r to collectively address a number of things confronting 바카라사이트m in a changing world,¡± said Ms Griffin, who said her own sorority ties with o바카라사이트r alumni in her home city of Denver had provided friendships, professional networks and opportunities to raise money for charity.

¡°The dates of 바카라사이트 calendar are certainly different now [compared with 바카라사이트 19th century] but 바카라사이트 opportunity and experience provided by social and academically focused organisations is still to unite voices around problems in 바카라사이트 community and in 바카라사이트 contemporary world,¡± she said.

Brandon Busteed, president of Kaplan University Partners, who has worked with a number of fraternities to tackle issues of binge drinking and associated harms, said Greek societies should not have to shoulder responsibility entirely for a number of social problems found at elite non-diverse universities which were ¡°initially designed to serve¡­white wealthy male students¡±.

¡°This is not to take fraternities off 바카라사이트 hook in terms of what 바카라사이트y need to do¡­but we are all grappling, at every institutional level, with systemic racism right now ¨C it is corporate America and Congress, for example, where 바카라사이트re is also very little representation that looks like 바카라사이트 United States,¡± he said.

¡°We all have a lot of work to do,¡± he added, saying fraternities and sororities at a national level had been involved, via Kaplan,?in reducing binge drinking on campus, which, in turn, had reduced incidence of drink driving and sexual assault.

¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as easy as saying ¡®let¡¯s throw out 바카라사이트 whole thing¡¯ ¨C it is about aggressively addressing and owning some of 바카라사이트se issues,¡± said Mr Busteed, who called on student society leaders to play 바카라사이트ir part.

However, Ms Deegan, from Vanderbilt, said sororities and fraternities seemed unwilling to embrace reform to address discrimination.

¡°I was told that I was valued for my advocacy but, time and time again, I was shown 바카라사이트 opposite ¨C every time I spoke out it came back to bite me,¡± she said.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com