“Boys will Be Boys?” Frat Culture and Sexual Violence

In the fascinating article, “Bros Before Hos: Fraternities and Sexual Exploitation”, Nicholas L. Syrett explores the link between Greek life on college and university campuses and sexual violence.

From the earliest fraternities in the 1820s to the development of the current frat scene of parties, girls, and booze, Syrett describes how this progression reflects the evolution of cultural attitudes towards sexuality over time. By the 1920’s heterosexuality was the accepted norm for men. After the sexual revolution of the 1960’s, college-aged women became more sexually permissive. As historical sexual attitudes changed, frats did too, eventually developing an atmosphere in which men proved their masculinity and gained social status by sleeping with women. The more women a frat boy slept with, the more respect he gained from his brothers.

This emphasis on sexual conquest creates a predatory attitude towards women and sex in frat houses. Syrett comments that research in the past “has shown that fraternity men are more likely than their non affiliated classmates to rape women, and some studies have estimated that as many as 70 to 90 percent of reported campus gang rapes are committed by members of fraternities.”

To maintain their social status, frats encourage their members to have frequent casual sex and to report on their experiences. This “places pressure on men who are not otherwise having sex to do so in order to save face, and this can lead to sexual assault.” Frat parties, with their steady supply of booze and college women, are “designed to supply intoxicated women who will either consent—or succumb—to sex.”

As a part of frat culture, frat boys encourage each other to dominate women and intentionally create circumstances in which these men can perpetrate sexual violence against their female classmates. In this hyper-masculine frat culture, where the sexual conquests of men are linked to status, rape as a display of power is not far removed.

Find more on fraternity culture and sexual violence, here and here.

“Boys will Be Boys?” Frat Culture and Sexual Violence

Why Do Men Hit?

How frequently have you heard people ask, "Why do women stay with men who hit them"?

Progressive feminist writer and women's studies professor, Shira Tarrant, author of The Man Files at Girl With Pen, raises this exact point in her most recent article "Serious Talk About Men's Violence".

Tarrant writes, "The most effective way to end violence against women is to stop the problem before it happens. Doing so means we need men on board. We need men taking responsibility, getting in on the conversations about male violence, and refusing to be silent bystanders to the problem."

Domestic violence has traditionally been treated as a women’s issue. Besides constituting the majority of victims, women make up the greater part of the workforce in the field. Additionally, the focus of the work has been on helping victims leave their abusers and restore their sense of agency and independence.

To stop violence before it begins, attention needs to be directed towards young boys and men, specifically those who show a predisposition towards violence. This can happen by researching risk factors, as well as providing better rehabilitation for proven abusers. Additionally, men need to be involved in the movement to end violence against women. Men like Jackson Katz are leading the movement in this way.

Since the cycle of abuse hurts everybody, domestic violence is a societal issue, not just a woman's problem.

So why then, do men hit? And why aren't we asking that question?

Why Do Men Hit?

Men Working to End Domestic Violence

Domestic violence, which is primarly treated as a women's problem, has some new activists on board with a new message. Those activists are men and they are reaching out to help. A Call to Men, a wonderful organization dedicated to galvanizing a movement of men to end all forms of violence against women, sates "that ending violence against women is primarily the responsibility of men. Although historically it has been almost entirely women who have been at the forefront addressing this issue, we think it is essential that men play a primary role in the solution to end it."

Other men who have joined the movement are Byron Hurt, a filmmaker, speaker and activist to end violence against women. Here is a sample of his award winning documents "Beyond Beats and Rhymes"


Check it out! We think its so important to take a proactive approach to stopping violence against women, and that means preventing it before it happens. More research needs to be done on the risk factors of what makes some men abusers and others not, and there needs to be more social accountability on the part of men to step up and help women in this fight for freedom. Furthermore, there needs to be a change in our media in the way they treat women.

Men Working to End Domestic Violence

Men Can Help Stop Domestic Violence

Jackson Katz is an advocate, educator and filmmaker working to help stop domestic violence. We love his website www.JacksonKatz.com, where you can read 10 Things Men Can Do to Prevent Gender Violence.

We also think this video trailer for Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture by Dr. Thomas Keith, gives a great depiction of how the media influences gender relations and contributes to domestic violence.

Men Can Help Stop Domestic Violence