The statistics, alarming and clear, have been said again and again (I’ve probably said it like four times in the past week), yet they still don’t seem to sink in. One in five college girls and one in 33 college boys will be sexually assaulted at their time in their respective University. Just think about that for a second. Now get a load of this- in Fall 2016 the projected rate of students enrolled in degree-earning institutions in America is 20.4 million. Meaning that (nearly) 4.08 million girls and 618,182 boys will be assaulted in their years at said institutions. While those stats may be real in authenticity and seriousness the statistics of the correlation between rape and greek life only continues the alarm. The following numbers are SCARY. I made a presentation to my sorority this previous semester with these facts hoping to reach the girls in my shoes (sexual assault survivors) and make the rest of the chapter even more aware. At the end of the day, 20-25% will experience the same horrifying defiling anyway. Buckle up, you’re in for a scary couple of bullet points:

• In 2015 more than 14,700 students between the ages of 18 and 24 were victims of alcohol-related sexual assault in the U.S.
• At least 47% of college students’ sexual assaults are associated with alcohol use
• In those violent incidents recorded by the police in which alcohol was a factor, about 9% of the offenders and nearly 14% of the victims were under age 21
• 4 out of 5 fraternity and sorority members are binge drinkers. In comparison, another research suggests 2 out of 5 college students overall are regular binge drinkers.
• Greek women are statistically more likely to be victims of physical or sexual assault (30% higher of a chance if alcohol is involved) and 74% more likely to be raped.
• 70-90% of on-campus gang rapes are related back to the Greek community.

Now what I’m about to say may shock you even more than those numbers so hold on to your handlebars, people. I’m not going to go on and on about how the true solution is to get rid of the Greek System because that is NOT the solution. The solution lies inside the problem itself. We, as Greeks, need to be the ones to spearhead the movement against college rape and start the conversation about consent, rape culture, and creating a safe environment on our campuses.

As millennials, we are labeled by our own to manage how we fit into society. I’ve been: the ugly friend (my glow up was too real), the theater kid, the Delta Gamma, the girl who was raped, and the annoying liberal to name a few of my bigger identifiers. While it’s frustrating to be categorized by one thing and frequently being judged or recognized solely off that, they did have a little bit of truth behind them. Now I find two of these to constantly be at odds with one another. Being a rape survivor (and a pretty damn angry and loud one at that) and being a Panhellenic woman- I’ve definitely butt heads with other parts of myself and find myself quite divided on certain arguments. A lot of women as passionate as I am about this movement call the Greek system misogynistic, friend-buying, tier-based popularity organizations that are hotbeds for assault, alcoholism, and all around being a materialistic a**hole. But see, I LOVE the greek system. I love having a sisterhood that fosters the highest ideals of friendships. One that holds me to a certain set of values including honesty, integrity, cultural diversity, educational achievement, and, yes, social responsibility. Being in a fraternal society gives you true camaraderie, connections to the real world, a home-away-from-home, a group of 50-300 to seek friendship and support within.

Here is how we, as Greeks, can help make an impact on sexual assault on our own campuses:

1. First things first, set a good example and be a decent human being.

It's not hard. This is the easy part.

2. Don’t base your self-worth off what another Greek organization thinks of you.

I do not care which fraternity or sorority wants to mix with you, played intramurals with you, or shouted you out on twitter. Neither do rape survivors. Doing this, basing your entire chapter's worth off of another Greek organizations opinion of you, continues the cyclical reason why Greek communities are so looked down upon by many GDIs (GD Independents). You're showing your chapter members that this is a moral way for them to base their own self-worth off of what a different sorority woman or fraternity man may think of them. Put this into a survivors standpoint and it is sickening to think about how they must feel if they were to follow this pattern.

3. Uphold a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault among your members- all claims should go straight towards said member and said chapters standards/judicial board.

Greeks get such a bad reputation. We are known often by society for being racist, sizest, homophobic, derogatory and discriminatory in every sense. And while it is imperative we fight these stereotypes in order to create a better image and ultimately a safer community for our members it is also essential that we continue this division and uproar for safety when it comes to claims of sexual assault. A zero-tolerance policy must be put into play and each chapter should have their own set way of looking to deal with and exonerate the issue.

4. Stop having so much sex intoxicated (I know, sorry pals.)

I know this is a hard one for a lot of college kids but the fact of the matter is, once you're intoxicated, you can no longer give consent. Almost half of all college students who claimed to have been sexually assaulted have had alcohol involved. Unless you and your sexual partner have discussed sex and given consent prior to inebriation and continue to give consent throughout the night (even this is walking a fine line), it is best to wait for a more sobering time. Liquid courage or not, it's just a bad idea.

5. Start the conversation in your individual chapter.

Be the person to raise your voice and see how many people follow you! This is such a hushed subject in our society and it is OUR turn to stand up and speak out. Educate the masses, speak out for those not brave enough to, be an ally and be a leader.

6. Do not be a bystander.

If you are aware that an act of sexual assault is occurring - the defiling of another human being - and you are doing nothing to stop it, you are just as much of a guilty party. Do not hold that guilt on your shoulders.

7. Provide a support system for Survivors.

This is so important. See my former article about how to be an ally and friend to a rape survivor.

8. Be apart of campus-initiatives to end sexual assault.

One Student, Not On My Campus, It's On Us, Men Against Violence, Title Nine Initiatives, whatever your campus may have. Get involved! It is so simple and so amazing to help join an organization that does something to help spread awareness and prevention about rape and the culture surrounding it. Find out what your school can offer you by contacting you campus Title Nine Offices or Student Organizations Council. And if you don't think they offer enough or anything at all, then take the initiative and start something!

9. Don’t perpetuate rape culture.

No rape jokes, no victim blaming, no sexual objectification, no slut shaming, no support of rape for entertainment purposes, no to anything and everything that normalizes sexual assault.

10. Do not participate in any form of nonconsensual sexual contact or behavior. Whatsoever.

Bottom line. This is not complicated to understand, y'all. Just do. not. do. it.

It really doesn’t take much to be an ally in your community and be apart of the solution. Greeks are already given the responsibility of combating certain stereotypes. Let me tell you that is something I am all too familiar with. I’m a brunette, liberal, living on financial aid and definitely, don’t think I’m superior to any other student or campus organization nor do I depend on a frat boy’s opinion of me to define me. The notion that Greek life is the biggest hotbed on campuses for sexual assault is yet another stereotype (that unfortunately can be very true) that we need to battle against until we find ourselves on the other side of this nation-wide campus epidemic. Until we find ourselves impacting survivors and helping them to not fear or hate Greeks. Until we find ourselves helping them to do just that- survive.

Until we find ourselves standing up, waving our letters in the air, and saying not on my freaking campus.