Peer pressure at frat parties

In early November, a pledge died at a University of Delaware fraternity party. A United Press International article, “Pledge dies at U. of Del. Frat party,” (http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/08/Pledge_dies_at_U_of_Del_frat_party/UPI-12831226206357/) describes the event. Brett Griffin was a freshman wrestler at Delaware who had pledged the Sigma Mu Alpha fraternity. A preliminary finding determined the cause of death to be alcohol overdose. Although the details of the incident were not made clear at the time the article was written, it seems likely that Griffin’s death arose out of peer pressure, as is the case in many college fraternity alcohol-related deaths. Pledges in fraternities feel a need to conform to the norms. Because everyone in the fraternity has gone through the same ordeal when they were pledges, there is no alternative for the current pledges. In addition, there is most likely a sense of obedience that pledges feel toward the older members of the fraternity.