People are waking up about sexual assault.

As the number of colleges and universities undergoing federal sexual assault investigation, including UT Knoxville, UT Chattanooga and Vanderbilt, climbs, student groups and university administrators nationwide are taking action to educate students and implement better sexual assault policies.

Last year, UT convened a Sexual Assault Task Force charged with revamping our sexual assault protocol. The task force yielded a 50-page document that addresses sexual misconduct, relationship violence and stalking. It outlines a comprehensive definition of consent, as well as an amnesty policy that protects students who report sexual assault. In addition to the policy, several student groups and administrative bodies, including Sexual Empowerment and Awareness at Tennessee (SEAT) and the Center for Health Education and Wellness, have increased the availability of educational resources and trainings.

But while consent campaigns and bystander intervention trainings are important, it is time to get more specific with our targets. Although we can’t chalk up 100 percent of rape cases to any one cause, there are some campus institutions that are disproportionately involved in perpetrating rape. One of those is fraternity life, and it is time we had a serious conversation about the connection between fraternities and sexual violence.

Let’s start with the facts. At least three studies have shown that fraternity men are three times more likely to commit rape than their non-Greek male counterparts. Women in sororities, the women who most often interact with fraternity men, are 74 percent more likely to be raped than other college women. Fraternities are hosting alcohol-saturated parties with deceptively strong drinks and some have even been known to develop calculated strategies to rape women.

So, why are fraternity men more likely to rape or assault someone?

It probably has something to do with how men act in groups. In 1988, Walter S. DeKeseredy, a criminologist at West Virginia University, published a book on Male Peer Support Theory. The theory says that “certain all-male peer groups encourage, justify and support the abuse of women.” These patterns are especially true among white, affluent chapters. Seems pretty intuitive — males are generally more obnoxious when they’re in groups. Hazing, which often includes physical or sexual abuse of pledges, encourages a culture of physical domination that undoubtedly translates to sexual activity. It is no coincidence that fraternities are often dubbed with cautioning nicknames such as the Wesleyan University chapter of Beta Theta Pi known as the “Rape Factory” or the alternative title for Sigma Alpha Epsilon: “Sexual Assault Expected.”

If fraternity rape is such a problem, should we ban fraternities altogether? I’ll be frank: I’m not a fan of Greek life and the social hierarchies it promotes, and I wouldn’t be sad to see the institution go. However, I understand that sororities and fraternities are deeply engrained into campus culture and are not going anywhere anytime soon. So we must push for reform, particularly from within the institution itself.

There are a few things we can do to curb the number of sexual assaults by fraternity members. One strategy has already been advocated by a number of sorority women: get rid of structural sexism in Greek life, and let sororities host parties with alcohol in their houses. This way, women have control of their environment and can ensure the absence of deceptively strong alcohol or date rape drugs. And, let’s face it, sorority parties would have awesome party favors and dance playlists.

Another solution is to target fraternities with specialized education programs. To remain on campus, fraternity men should be required to participate in regular and specific men-to-men education programs about bystander intervention and rape that acknowledge the unique fraternity culture of sexual violence. They should also be required to attend sexual assault related events hosted by SEAT or the Women’s Coordinating Council. This will improve their image within the campus community while providing necessary education.

In the spirit of moving forward, I want to highlight the work of a particular fraternity: the UT chapter of Beta Theta Pi.

Despite the fraternity’s national history of rape culture, the reconstituted chapter of Beta Theta Pi at UT has taken the lead on sexual assault prevention. The organization’s recent #NotOnRockyTop campaign has prompted many campus groups to take a stand on social media against sexual assault. And they practice what they preach. They held bystander intervention training on Monday and raised money for the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee on Tuesday.

Real change is best made from within, and the men of Beta Theta Pi are putting that change into motion. Keep fighting the good fight, Beta, and let’s all hold fraternities accountable for their role in campus rape culture.

Summer Awad is a senior in College Scholars. She can be reached at [email protected].