Greek Life Should Be Allowed On Campus Essay

Do you consider yourself a risk taker, excitement seeker or extraversion in college? If yes, then you might find yourself fitting in with the Greek life on campus. However, there is research that suggests living in an environment such as a fraternity or sorority can alter your decision-making process and behaviors. An overwhelming majority of students who choose to live within Greek organizations take part in high-risk drinking and substance abuse. Such abuse is higher in fraternities because men tend to drink more on average than women and the majority of problem drinking transpires at fraternity functions. Additionally, fraternities maintain excessive drinking practices on campus. With this in mind, should Greek life be allowed on campus when it’s shown to promote unhealthy habits?
Through the process of joining a fraternity, rushing, the issue arises whether the harmful behaviors are caused by self-selection into Greek life or from the Greek environment being conducive to drinking. An individual’s decision to join the Greek social system is related to
Researchers found peer pressure to be “the most consistent and potent predictor of the frequency and consumption of alcohol”. An individual in a fraternity is likely to feel the need to drink heavily to be well liked or recognized. The peer pressure may not always be evident; for instance, "while one is free to choose to abstain in the fraternity world, doing so risks alienation from one's peers, at least in terms of not being able to meet them on their own level during party situations." Direct peer pressure to drink more heavily is greatly expressed during the pledge period. Binge drinking among men fosters an intimacy that is stressed during the pledge period when the pledge class is bonding with the brotherhood. After being accepted into the fraternity, the pressure of substance abuse is likely to