Fraternities and Sororities Join Forces for Campus Safety
Updates from Lexington
Led by Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and Sigma Nu fraternity, interfraternal organizations are taking a stand against sexual assault and relational aggression with the development of a new educational program for college students. Recognizing that everyone plays a role in preventing sexual assault and creating a safer social culture, 10 fraternities and sororities have already signed on to roll out the program nationwide.
To develop a comprehensive approach to prevention, the groups worked with Aaron Boe, the founder of Prevention Culture, which specializes in non-stranger sexual assault and relational violence prevention, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention. The program, which launched this fall, aims to equip collegians with the tools necessary to create safe and supportive chapter cultures. It covers topics including healthy standards for personal relationships, misconceptions about non-stranger sexual assault, intervention techniques for complicated social situations and ways to support a victim/survivor. Each group has worked with Boe to customize the program and implementation options to meet its organizational needs.
“As leaders on campus, our collegiate members have the power to influence campus culture,” said Brad Beacham, Executive Director of Sigma Nu. “Other students take their cues from fraternity and sorority members, and these ongoing programs are preparing them to spark a much needed shift in attitudes among all college students.”
“There is good reason to believe this shift is already beginning to take place, as demonstrated by the sexual assault prevention initiatives emerging all over the country, many of which are being led by fraternity and sorority members. While there is still much work to be done, the momentum of this movement has been encouraging.”
Sigma Nu Fraternity has been educating its members to identify and prevent sexual assault for many years, long before recent media coverage brought the problem of campus sexual assault to the forefront of the issues facing higher education. Sigma Nu was influential in calling for the GreekLifeEdu program that prepares students to prevent hazing, sexual assault and alcohol misuse. Sigma Nu was an early adopter of the course when it launched in 2008. As of the start of the current academic year, 90 percent of Sigma Nu’s collegiate members have completed the course.
The program is estimated to have reached over 3,500 collegiate brothers in the first semester alone, with numbers expected to grow as implementation continues. Collegians will participate in two 60-minute workshops—one on sexual assault prevention and one on bystander intervention—facilitated by trained staff. Volunteers will also be given access to a virtual training program on sexual assault prevention and relationship violence.