What goes on in a US college frat house?

The President of Cornell University says it "must do better" after a woman alleged she was drugged and raped by a group of men at a fraternity – or frat – house.

Fraternities are all-male social organisations where the students live, study and socialise, and many are known for their parties. But they are also controversial and have been criticised for elitism and dangerous initiation rituals, referred to as hazing.

“There’s a lot of forced drinking to get guys into a state of severe inebriation and if you weren’t participating you would be punished,” Mikey, a former President of a frat house tells us. “I did some things that I’m certainly not proud of.”

Our guests share their experiences of secrecy, alcohol and discuss attitudes to women. They also describe working with young men today to help them understand consent.

Presenter: James Reynolds
BBC producers: Iqra Farooq
Boffin Media producers: Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham
Editors: Harriet Oliver and Arja Haikonen

A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC World Service Outside Source team.

(Photo: The HQ of the closed Chi Phi fraternity chapter at Cornell University. Credit: Reuters/Angelina Katsanis)