Why is relationship abuse relevant to sororities? A 2006 college survey indicated that 1 in 4 women have been victims of rape or attempted rape (CALCASA, 2006). Women who are most often raped are between 16 and 24 years of age. Eight in ten college rapes involved someone the attacker knew, and more than half involved a date. Preventing sexual assault and relationship abuse can only happen when men choose not to sexually assault or abuse women. However, until all forms of gender violence have ended, we can help our friends and provide support to the sisters and mothers who have been assaulted. See College Students for more information.

What Sororities and Fraternities Can Do to Make a Difference on Your Campus

• Raise awareness of relationship abuse on your campus by posting fliers
• Support local domestic violence shelters through charity fundraising or volunteering
• Review your university’s policy on relationship abuse, sexual harassment and assault and judicial process as a house or chapter
• Organize a petition if your school does not 1) properly support survivors 2) give survivors a safe and confidential way to report sexual assault 3) provide a resource to stay informed about crime on your campus and 4) properly hold offenders accountable
• Support survivors by eliminating victim blaming statements from your vocabulary
• There are many other ways to support survivors and raise awareness of violence against women. Check out our Take Action page for more ideas.

Additional Resources

For more information on relationship abuse and related issues, consult our Get Educated section. For more ideas on how your chapter can get involved in ending gender-based violence, see our Take Action page. For resources for fraternities, visit our Greek Life: Fraternities page.