Beyond School Grounds: Fraternities & The Development of Complacency Culture

The resurfacing of a heinous gang rape of a woman at Cornell University by a group of fraternity brothers in 2024 has undoubtedly sparked outrage across the country. Online, a plethora of posts applaud “Jane Doe”, the pseudonym for the victim of the assault, for speaking up while condemning the seven men and Cornell University. However, the frustration is rarely accompanied by a feeling of surprise. Fraternity scandals have been common for decades, a tradition almost; the rushing and initiation rituals tend to lead to extreme and sometimes illegal actions that endanger both the brotherhood members and others. These actions are enabled by having the space to engage with them, while the secrecy culture within the fraternity—allowing for such violence in the first place—stems from a social pact to maintain status within the group. If both factors are allowed to fester, as they have for years, they inevitably creep into society beyond school grounds.

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