

In popular media, fraternity members are often criticized for being unruly party boys that haze without forgiveness and lack in the area of chivalry. However, a recent psychological study conducted by Loyola University professor Charles Corprew, Ph.D. shows that men in fraternities are actually less likely to demonstrate the hostile attitudes linked to sexual aggression that can lead to sexual assault than those who are not involved in Greek life on campus.

Corprew, a psychology researcher, along with his research assistant and Tulane graduate Avery Mitchell, surveyed over 200 men aged 18 to 25 from three different Southern colleges and universities that were both in fraternities and non-Greek affiliated. The study explores many of the pre-cursor behaviors that are thought to result in a sexual assault, including aggressive attitudes towards women and hypermasculinity, which Corprew defines as relying heavily on devaluing emotion and the belief that violence and social status are necessary to be manly.

“It is when the notion of hypermasculinity was added into the equation that many of the men that were not in fraternities displayed escalated levels of hostility towards women, and for the most part the men in fraternities were unchanged,” said Corprew. “This could be on account of the fact that the men in fraternities already have social capital and status within their organization, and the men that are not part of a fraternity are still attempting to adhere to society’s ideals of masculinity.”

The study, which will be published online on the Journal of College Student Development in a few weeks, finds that men in fraternities often have support networks and an infrastructure that allows for vulnerable spaces where the hypermasculine front may be removed. Corprew’s research indicates that this is largely credited to the open forums of discussion and seminars about consent that men in fraternities are exposed to as part of their membership.

According to the Center for Disease Control’s Rape Prevention and Education Program website, one in two women and one in five men have experienced sexual violence victimization. Further, it shows that the victimization often occurs for the first time before the age of 25. It is with these statistics in mind that Corprew stresses the importance of providing better resources and educational material for college aged men coming into their adulthood without a support network as societal pressures are challenging their masculinity.

“So often males are emerging into adulthood in an unhealthy state of masculinity, where they have been taught to be stoic and internalize stress or sadness, which results in externalized anger. Our goal is to open conversation about what it means to be a man in our society and what it means to be a man in a relationship. This will aid in moving males towards a healthier state of masculinity where violence towards women, or even against men, is not an option,” said Corprew.

Corprew’s students at Loyola have already put this movement in motion in forming the Student Advocates for Gender Equality (SAGE) program with the purpose of breaking down gender stereotypes and social expectations. He believes that ultimately the success of the movement relies on student bodies across the country to create discussions surrounding gender equality and become activists in support of creating a healthy masculine space.

To submit news for Uptown Line, email