Consent is So Frat
Making consent and healthy relationships part of what it means to be a fraternity brother or sorority sister.
FAQ
We get a lot of questions about the type of work we do here at Consent is So Frat. Here are some answers!
Why do you use the term “frat” when it’s associated with so many negative stereotypes?
We completely recognize the problematic stereotypes of the “frat bro” (see Total Frat Move). That’s exactly why we use it in the title, to bring up the image that people see when they think of “frat bros” and then to challenge those stereotypes with our work to make consent part of the new associations with fraternities. In our materials, messaging, and publications, however, we use the term fraternity.
What is Consent is So Frat doing beyond messaging and selling T-shirts?
Consent is So Frat is currently in the process of developing a curriculum on consent education for fraternities. The curriculum is based on studying other programs (Men Can Stop Rape, Mentors in Violence Prevention) as well as the ideas, opinions, and suggestions of other activists and educators.
Why not ban fraternities?
We support the banning of fraternities from campus in which the chapter engages in sexual violence and the fraternity as a whole is found to be at fault for the actions. To ban a fraternity system would not teach the men about consent or how to prevent sexual violence, but educating them can produce a great ally in preventing sexual violence on their campus. Several studies have shown that the education of fraternity brothers in bystander intervention and consent and significantly decrease negative attitudes towards women and sexual assault as well as likelihood to commit actions of sexual violence (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). While a few schools have taken to banning or co-educating fraternities, a vast majority still maintain a large Greek system. Recognizing the problems with fraternities around this issue, but also the many benefits that fraternities provide, we hope to work with these Greek systems across the country to make consent part of what the men stand for as fraternity brothers. It’s important that discussions around what fraternities need to work on continue to happen, and we hope to be part of the conversation to make the fraternity experience a positive one for those involved as well as the college communities they belong to.
