The Dark Secrets Of A Fraternity House

1. Fraternities have killed women

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There was a particular case reported in one fraternity where a girl was s*xually assaulted and left in a room where she froze to death. Sadly, incidents like this are not so rare and some sources claim that many of these cases similar are covered up by powerful me at the top of the fraternity chain.

2. Hazing still happens

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Hazing is the practice of bringing new members into a group, the way this is done is through means such as abuse, and humiliation amongst other things which over the years has led to many boys dying. For example, somebody may be forced by the fraternity to drink excess alcohol. Despite being banned in the USA and many countries, hazing often still happens in secret.

3. Sexual assault has been normalized

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Fraternities have for centuries bred the mindset of a chauvinistic 'boys club'. The shocking dark secrets of fraternities reveal that the perpetrator of s*xual assault is statistically much more likely to be a member of a fraternity house at University.

4. Toxic masculinity is the mindset

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Fraternities are predominantly made up of wealthy men who have come from extremely wealthy backgrounds. The mindset of fraternities is often to be tough, don't show emotion, and sexualize and degrade women. This is often the sad reality of frat houses...EVEN now.

5. They're so secretive, that abuse can go unsaid

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Fraternities go very high up the ladder and they have all kinds of connections. But, it's not all about the partying and the fun, there's a lot of abuse that happens inside a frat house, and because of the powerful connections and the extreme secrecy, it can be easily covered up. In fact, many men don't report it in the first place because they feel overpowered.

6. Casual sexism is commonplace

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One of the darkest secrets of fraternities is the treatment of women. The way women are spoken to inside of these frat houses is shocking and lists of 'hot or not', ratings, and who has slept with the most women are commonplace. There are even disgusting and degrading competitions such as who can sleep with the 'ugliest' girl.

7. Some frats have ties to organized crime

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Fraternities in movies often portray a harmless group of guys wanting to have fun, all looking out for each other. The dark truth is that some fraternities are a cover for illicit things. Some fraternities may actually have ties with organized crime and the secrecy and the prestigious name helps them to evade notice.

8. Substance abuse happens frequently

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Fraternity houses are often full of illegal substances and excessive alcohol. It seems to be commonplace amongst frats and frat parties where these are celebrated and encouraged. In fact, many people who join if they did not want to of their own choice, succumb to peer pressure.

9. Nobody really knows what goes on

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The truth is, despite all of the dark secrets we know...there are so much more. Fraternities are covered up with so much secrecy and privacy that we don't get a real glimpse. One person claimed he found a secret room full of surveillance and lists of names, other people have found secret doors, stairs, and even underground tunnels!

10. A LOT of illegal stuff goes down

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There are continuous legal battles as fraternity antics go further and further, each time needing to be bigger and more impressive than the next. Somebody might even be asked to steal something as a part of their initiation. And, there are lots of illegal activities that happen on the DL, very regularly.

11. You can't just ask to join

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A fraternity isn't a club that you can join, or that you can ask to join. You are selected. A fraternity is a serious commitment and it can make or break your college experience. The frat will have stalked your socials well before they off you an invite to join them, just to suss you out!

11. It's all about the wealth and status

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The biggest and most prestigious fraternities in the USA are completely characterized by wealth and status. In fact, if you've not got money or you don't know someone important then the fraternity may not want you. It's all about what you've got and who you know - not what your personality is like!

12. It encourages illegal behavior

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Being a part of a frat house can definitely stir up trouble, you'll probably be encouraged to take part in some not-so-moral or maybe not even legal activities. The truth is that fraternities often are a community of encouraging illegal and toxic kinds of behaviors.

13. There are a lot of mental health problems

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Because the culture of a frat house is so intense and so consumed by toxic masculinity, there is a huge lack of acceptance for anybody struggling mentally. Instead, people who are struggling often try to cope or mask it by partaking in wild behavior.

14. They have way more power than you'd think

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This is not just a simple social club or just a boy's night out, some of these clubs end up having power all over the place. The big and prestigious fraternities of the USA which have been around for a LONG time have connections to a lot of people in powerful places.

15. It's a passage to success

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Some fraternities have such a prestigious name because the screening process pretty much determines whether you will end up being successful. Once you climb the ladder of the successful fraternities, you may end up with a passage to success. You'll be given the means and connections to succeed.

16. You all share a frat dad

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So each fraternity house has a 'father'. And they are there to look after your needs and basically to keep you in check so that things don't get too wild. Or at least, that the really wild things don't get plastered all over the internet and get the college a bad reputation or in any legal trouble.

17. The oath of secrecy

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What happens in the fraternity, stays in the fraternity! And to be really sure that this is taken seriously, all new members will pledge to take an oath of secrecy! This means that there will be no secrets spilling what really goes on in a frat house.

18. Bullying happens often

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The sad reality of many fraternities is that bullying and intimidation happen often. Whether this is because people don't see you as fitting in, or people want to make you do something you don't want to then you may become victim to bullying from your fellow brothers.

19. Initiations are tough

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Nobody goes easy on the new boy. In fact, for the newbies, it's very tough. You don't just get allowed into a fraternity. You have to pass the initiation period first. One boy recalled how he was made to stand up in front of hundreds of people and tell jokes, meanwhile, someone stood over him telling him that they weren't funny. These kinds of humiliation rituals are common practices.

20. Once you're in, you're IN

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You've placed some kind of allegiance to the fraternity. And in a very cult-like manner, there's no getting out of it again. You're in this brotherhood forever or you can easily go pouring away the secrets. Your frat will become your family, for good or for bad!

21. There's a very long ladder to climb

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If you think once you join a fraternity you're all equals, you get a huge reality check. The fraternity is made of a huge hierarchy and you have to earn your spot at the top. Money, shows of loyalty as well as status will gradually help you to climb up the ladder.

22. You have to follow the rules

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Look, if you're part of the brotherhood you can't just do anything you want anymore. If there's a party that your friend invited you to and they're a rival fraternity then don't be thinking you can accept the invite! A fraternity means you've basically pledged all of your allegiance and loyalty.

23. Labelled for life

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Your fraternity is more than just a little bit of college campus fun, this label can stick with you for life. If you were chosen to be a part of one of the prestigious and respected fraternities then this label will stay with you forever and you may be referred to by your frat house in certain circles.

24. There are regular rituals

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Rituals are what it is called when a fraternity meets up. You will be invited to these rituals, and non-members are not welcome to join. What happens at these 'meetings/ parties' nobody really knows unless you're one of those on the inside! But, it most probably consists of lots of booze...

25. It's predominantly made up of white, heterosexual men

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One of the dark secrets of fraternities, especially in the historic standing fraternities, is that there is a severe lack of diversity. These fraternities are often made up of heterosexual, white men and there may be racist views ingrained within the old fraternities.

26. There's a sense of entitlement

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Fraternities are characterized by a sense of entitlement. There are a lot of wealthy men who believe that they deserve the best of the best. But, this often includes belittling other people, or feeling as though their wealth can buy them anything they like, including people.

27. Links to drug gangs

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One of the darkest secrets of fraternities is that some fraternities may have links to drug gangs. These are often covered up but the truth is that some fraternities have connections or links with drug trafficking gangs and there have been instances where some fraternities may even help with money laundering!

28. Corruption happens in fraternities

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There is a LOT of money involved with some fraternities. The huge fraternities of the USA are essentially businesses, and the dark truth is that corruption may happen with some of the funds. It is not clear where these funds go, whether to the people at the top o to connections or even illegal connections...

29. It's not the healthiest of lifestyles

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It's no surprise that the student lifestyle isn't the healthiest. Stereotypically it involves a LOT of booze, a lot of junk food, and not much hygiene. But, the stereotype that 'boys are messier' in many frat houses has been proven right and to say it's an unhealthy lifestyle may be an understatement!

30. You've got to fit in

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There's extreme pressure to fit in. Unfortunately, it seems to be a dark truth of many fraternities that being individual and unique isn't something that is encouraged. If you don't fit in you can find yourself at the brunt of many humiliating jokes or maybe even bullying!

31. Some things they get up to can include animals

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Some fraternities aren't strangers to using animals in some of their escapades, either. This doesn't always mean animal cruelty or abuse (although more on that later), just very random things that they use animals for. For example, fraternities might get animals they use in races for the members to bet on and see who wins...

32. Or even be a health hazard

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One such occurrence was a fraternity that used turtles to race (and as you can imagine, that must have been a very slow, tense race). When the winner was announced, the frat members did what anybody drunk and happy would do - they kissed in celebration. But they didn't kiss each other, they kissed the turtles - and got salmonella as a result.

33. They get seriously creative about decorating

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As we know, fraternities usually have a huge house or base of operations - and with so many parties to host (or turtle racing, apparently) they need to decorate for every theme. But we're not talking a bit of bunting and fancy dress... fraternities can go all out, including dump a boat load of sand in a room for a 'beach party'.

34. They can get dangerous with throwing things

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We've all been to at least one party where someone accidentally or on purpose smashes a glass, knocks something over or destroys a piece of furniture with being too rowdy. With frat houses, that's cranked up to eleven. As frat houses can be extremely large with many floors, members might throw glass bottles down stairs or over balconies - so you can imagine how dangerous all that broken glass is.

35. Some might have entrepreneurial spirit (and not in a good way)

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It's not unheard of for fraternities to try and make some extra cash or set up a business in their frat house, either. Some fraternities can try make money by the obvious - gambling escapades or drinking games - while others can go the whole hog and come up with services like a tattoo parlor in the basement.

36. The youngest/most innocent girls could be targeted

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This is obviously disgusting to think of, but in reality it unfortunately happened. Back in decades like the 80s, fraternities would host parties with a dress-up theme in the hope that the newest and youngest fraternity girls would come over in fancy dress, not knowing any better, and then get plied with beer.

37. Public indecency isn't anything new

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Fraternities getting rowdy may also decide to get naked in public, too - this usually consists of getting drunk at the house first and deciding to run around the neighborhood naked or flash nearby houses. It probably isn't the most shocking thing a fraternity house has done.

38. Pranks can be based around bodily functions

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Because what better way to perform a baseless prank than to get right down to the most base form of humor! Fraternities might choose to influence a person's bodily funcitons by using laxatives disguised in food or drink - at least for the young, impressionable hopefuls wishing to become members.

39. Fraternities like to use pledges for free labor

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The scary thing is is that most fraternities can get pledges (people hoping to become members of the fraternity) to do pretty much anything they want them to, if they want in that badly. This includes using them for labor and chores around the house, like cleaning - for free.

40. The tragedy of goldfish swallowing

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We mentioned how there was no animal cruelty with the racing, but that doesn't mean frats haven't been guilty of it. Something that frat houses used to be notorious for was goldfish swallowing - where they'd make people take a shot of water with a live goldfish in it, and then wash it down with some liquor.

41. Celebrities you didn't know were in fraternities: Kevin Costner

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Famous actor Kevin Costner, before he became a big name in Hollywood, was a big name in a fraternity house. He was a member of Delta Chi, while getting his university degree at the California State University. You have to wonder whether he was on board with goldfish swallowing or not.

42. Will Ferrell

image source: theguardian.com

Now this is the type of celebrity you can definitely imagine being part of a fraternity party - he's a comedian, after all. Surely he went to at least one wild frat party or two. And he did star in the film Old School that showed exactly that. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta, with the University of Southern California.

43. Michael Jordan

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Michael Jordan has had a busy life and an amazing career, so it's no surprise that he was studying for a degree at one point as well as being a member of fraternity. He attended the University of North Carolina for a degree in Carolina, and was part of the Omega Psi Phi.

44. Brad Pitt

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The Hollywood A-lister did once attend university, and was inevitably part of a fraternity - but he actually ended up dropping out of school, and his fraternity Sigma Chi along with it. Pitt had enrolled at the University of Missouri for a degree in journalism before dropping out to pursue acting - which, as we know, worked out for him!

45. Paul Rudd

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Another successful Hollywood actor, also with a comedic side, who not only attended university but got involved with a fraternity there. Paul Rudd was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity while he attended the University of Kansas. He went out to have a successful movie career despite potentially being subjected to those gruelling fraternity pranks we talked about!

46. Ty Burrell

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Actor Ty, our favorite TV dad from Modern Family, was actually in a fraternity too. He attended the University of Oregon, and whilst there became a member of the fraternity Sigma Chi - but he later transferred to a different university. Hopefully not because of being made to race turtles...

47. David Schwimmer

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We've seen David in his breakout role as Ross Gellar, and with all those college flashbacks, he's definitely someone we can picture being on the wrong side of a prank-filled fraternity! Schwimmer attended Northwestern University and was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

48. Woody Harrelson

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Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson definitely gives off the vibe that he could have been one of the cool kids in college - and because he was a member of the fraternity Sigma Chia whilst studying at Hanover University before his movie days, we're going to bet he was probably one of the cooler members!

49. Jim Parsons

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Actor Jim Parsons' most famous role is that of a nerd who most definitely would be the ridicule of every fraternity prank known to man - and then get rejected from the group. The actor himself, on the other hand, very much got initiated into a frat house: Phi Kappa Alpha at the University of Houston.

50. Harrison Ford

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Han Solo and Indiana Jones himself was a member of a fraternity, too, but it might not be surprising seeing as he seems like the type to be one of the popular kids in college. He was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity whilst studying philosophy at Ripon College. It was only later he switched to acting!