'It Could Bring down Greek Life as a Whole': Greek Life Members' Perspectives on Party Culture, Safety, Responsibilities and Consequences

Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

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Undergraduate Students; Sororities; College Environment; Student Attitudes; School Safety; Sexual Abuse; Rape; Violence; Prevention; Fraternities; Gender Differences; College Role; Recreational Activities; Age Differences; Instructional Program Divisions; Safety; Security Personnel; Standards; Drinking

10.1080/07448481.2021.1942004

0744-8481
1940-3208

Objective: Describe Greek life students' perspectives of party culture, safety, and College Sexual Violence (CSV) prevention. Participants: 27 US undergraduates: 5 fraternity underclassmen, 6 fraternity upperclassmen, 10 sorority underclassmen, 6 sorority upperclassmen. Methods: Students participated in one of four focus groups, separately by gender and academic year. Facilitation guide addressed partying, sexual violence, and safety. Results: Greek life members described partying preferences, perceived safety threats, and actions they took to party safely. University efforts to support safe partying were not universally viewed as helpful. Conclusions: Although Greek life students strive to create safe partying environments, there remain missed opportunities to mitigate risks related to CSV. The responsibility to ensure safe partying falls too heavily on students, resulting in universities missing opportunities to provide measures that promote safety while mitigating risks and potentially serious harms.

As Provided

2023

EJ1396308