A funeral of a boy no older than 21, parents crying and 5 members of the boy’s fraternity standing in handcuffs, no longer able to live out their life as normal adults due to a vapid, dense mistake they made trying to make the boy in the casket earn his way into their group. “It brings unity and strengthens the bond between the members of the group”, “ I was hazed so they should be hazed too”, “I did not think that was hazing”, the Most common excuses hazers give when they are confronted for their mistakes. Though many college students were hazed during their years attending college it is not a mandatory “rite of passage” for any new members of an organization to endure. Though many people think of hazing as a harmless activity that makes …show more content…
According to stophazing.com “47% of all students are hazed before entering college” and “3 in 5 students attending college are subject to hazing” (Did You). Hazing can be anything, including “forced alcohol consumption, humiliation, isolation, sleep deprivation, and sex acts” are the most common across student groups (Did you). Though it is a “substantial challenge to establish a case” and “prove who is accountable” those who are responsible are subject to “heavy consequences [though] the the victim remains emotionally scarred until he or she receives professional help (Peluso, A. R.). most of the people who have endured hazing have been left with severe depression and anxiety for much of their life even after graduating college due to the fact that an average therapist can cost upwards of $250 for each one hour session; these therapists are the college graduates with little to no experience, that being said a more proficient therapist could be several thousands more depending on the length of each session …show more content…
Someone can prevent hazing by simply contacting the hazing prevention, email address or texting a hazing prevention number that is available at most campuses throughout the nation so that the campus officers will see to the activity immediately. Many people that are already members of an organization such as a fraternity and a sorority are unaware that they are capable of stopping hazing before it even begins, according to the University of Rochester “Members of fraternities and sororities do not have an innate desire to haze, but they are often placed in situations where they can exert power over new members. By creating an atmosphere, creating an atmosphere where new members can discuss their experiences with existing members without punishment, members will find fewer and fewer opportunities to haze.” (Hazing prevention). Though they have the ability to prevent future hazing, current members of an organization choose to remain feeling in control of the new initiates of the organization. After high school and always being told what to do and how they should live the older members want to feel the power of being in control of manipulatable people, or people whom are easily
A common myth is that hazing is a “reality” in Frats and sororities. We've all seen it in movies and we've all heard stories from our friends. Hazing can be defined as people or individuals who are forced to do something that is psychologically, physically, or emotionally harmful or damaging (Merriam Webster). Greek organizations all over the world have taken steps in developing human rights policies and strict “anti-hazing” policies to get rid of hazing in all forms from all campuses and fraternities. In the 1980s the movie “Animal House”, became a hit. The movie’s “mocking” of the wild side of fraternity life: binge drinking, hazing, sexual harassment, wild parties, drug use, and poor living conditions, became the American public’s view of Greek life. Many television movies and shows depict the ‘crazy side,’ of Greek life and choose to show its negative side. In doing so, many movies and shows do forget to showcase the beneficial side of joining a Sorority or fraternity and show its positive
The memoir “The College Hazing That Changed My Life” written by Thomas Rogers, is about a freshman in college who experience hazing in a rowing team until they received an eye-opening revelation. Hazing is a major problem throughout the world, a tradition that embarrasses or shame a group of fresh participant to a particular group. A tradition that can be “traced back to the Europe in the Middle Ages where it was known as pennalism” (History – StopHazing). In the first paragraph, it states an important fact about the author that is a repetitious word throughout the memoir, it states that he is a homoerotic male during the time of the hazing. The memoir describes how spiteful and futile hazing is, and it’s often only used to target freshman with superiority.
The other change event relating to hazing, has been another successful proposal as well. Many chapters within Delta Sigma Theta have either been known for or caught with hazing physically and/or emotionally in the past. According to one previous story, “On November 20th 2010, the day before their official initiation, due to lack of sleep the driver fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed into a tree. Two girls were injured and two girls lost their lives in the tragic accident”. Using this change intervention, Delta has been able to not only own up to past horrendous misshapes, but to promote non-hazing as it is a very serious matter. More and more trainings, informationals’, sessions, and even videos and documents have been produced and used for current members and new seeking candidates to stress the importance of non-tolerance of any type of behavior. Mistakes have been made, including the incident that occurred in 2010. As we know that not every chapter may have been sought or captured with hazing, a tremendous amount has been put to a stop and Delta continues to reach the goal with 0%. Although with these devastating occurrences, Delta has successfully
come to an end, and it is still implemented in hundreds of schools. There are
In February 2017, Tim Piazza died as a result of hazing within his fraternity. In the article “Death at a Penn State Fraternity”, Caitlin Flanagan summarizes the death and events beforehand that made the death occur. She also gives insight as to other occurrences in other fraternities along with at Penn State. Throughout the article, Flanagan seems to rely on life being valuable and that life should not be cut short for social reasons within one’s control. Caitlin Flanagan provides meaningful commentary to help others realize the dangers affiliated with hazing and other “social norms”.
The binge drinking and partying of fraternities and sororities is now under the concern of the chapter locally and nationally. Every year there is a national hazing awareness week that every fraternity and sorority on every campus in America participates in. The only way to fix the problem is the educate people about the problem. To outweigh the heavy expense on a member’s pocket is the ability to apply for scholarships within a fraternity or sorority nationally. A Greek organization offers aid when needed and if cannot solely help look for other outlets for financial aid for a member. Organizations focus on education and give endless resources to members within the house and on campus. Members of Greek organizations have so much potential to become well-rounded individuals and being in these organizations helps them shape these potentials to achieve the most success as
Students involved in clubs, fraternities, sororities, and organizations experience hazing. In fact, 55% those college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing. Hazing is any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risk emotional, or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate. Hazing can occur in high school, intercollegiate, or even professionally. As an individual, you have to know what is hazing. What is going over the edge? Am I doing anything illegal? Or is this causing emotional or physical distress or stress to myself or to others? Hazing, even though its tradition,
government would have to spend a vast amount of money to control hazing and try to prevent
Hazing as we know it today is most commonly to initiate members into a fraternity, sorority, or club of some sort. Hazing’s roots go into Ancient Greece when Plato first observed the occurrence and wrote about it in one of his works. The first sign of the term “hazing” appeared in the 16th century, when veteran soldiers would harass new sailors whenever the weather would create a haze. The integration of hazing in American society occurred in the 19th century after the Civil War. Before the war, university fraternities were a place to exchange ideas which most students did not find too engaging. After the war, the meaning of university fraternities had evolved to strengthen bonds with one another. The war put not optimal events and situations, which made soldiers strengthen bonds between one another. Fraternities would often replicate the traumatic events that occurred during the war to strengthen bonds between the recruits and the organization. The fraternities would base hazing rituals on stories their fathers or grandfathers who had participated in the war. Three hazing related deaths occurred in the
Summary: Matthew Haag’s New York Times article, “10 Additional Penn State Students Charged in Hazing Death of Pledge” begins with the discovery that members of the fraternity Beta Theta Pi deleted footage of the incident. This sudden realization by the F.B.I. led to the accusation of 10 additional suspects within the fraternity. The deleted footage revealed Mr. Piazza was “given at least 18 alcoholic drinks over 82 minutes at the Feb. 2 fraternity party.” The new video later showed him repeatedly falling down the stairs ultimately cracking his skull and busting his spleen from the continuous falls. So far charges have been presented upon all twelve of the involved.
Though some members in a fraternity or sorority may be against what is happening to these individuals, the codes of secrecy and brotherhood/sisterhood are so strong that they fear to break them and come forward to report these acts (Ruffins 18). Lydia Bradley, a strong advocate of anti-hazing laws and national speaker for
Hazing in universities across the nation has become an increasingly dangerous ritual that is seemingly becoming more difficult to put an end to due to its development into an “underground” activity. Though a regular activity in the seventies, hazing, a possible dangerous act of initiation to a group, has now become an activity that is banned in thirty-nine states (Wagner 16). However, this ritual has not been stopped or become less severe. In fact it is becoming more dangerous. Since it has been banned, with many colleges imposing their own penalties against those participating in it, many fraternities and sororities have pursued this activity in an underground fashion. Since these groups have gone underground, some victims of these
Lastly, Universities presidents attend to notice the number-one leading cause of undergraduate college students in the United States today, are binge drinkers. Also, the college students are targeted customers for purchasing alcoholic beverages which, attend to lead to drinking games on campus. The Universities presidents formed a leadership group to help with alcohol abuse on campus for students. They attend to offer both individual and group counseling, to bring more attention to the alcohol abuse to prevent. There are organizations around campus, who promote responsible drinking and party
Furthermore, fraternities are infamous for their requirement to pledge in order to join the brotherhood. Although the specific acts inflicted on pledges is known only by members of fraternity, it is commonly known that hazing is part of the initiation. The pledges have to complete a series of humiliating and sometime dangerous rituals in order to join. They could be forced to consume excessive amount of alcohols and drugs, or be physically beaten or be publicly humiliated. Little known fact, white fraternities generally use alcohol for hazing while black fraternities result to physical violence. In a survey conducted by Dr. Susan Lipkins “31% of Fraternity and sorority members agree that a significant element in an initiation rite is humiliation.” “Also, many of the Greek Leaders agree that
The hazing philosophy is a tool used to gauge commitment and strength. Initiates are tasked with subhuman task that are somewhat physically and psychologically harmful. This cultivates a brand of loyalty and brotherhood that breeds groupthink. Groupthink is the phenomena where people seek the desire to conform in a group which results in irrational or dysfunctional decision making. A hazing ritual that was used as a training tactic for Agu was the “Gauntlet”, this is when potential child soldiers had to run through a lineup of men while being beat trying to make it to the other side. The point is that if you made it through you were strong enough to be a member of the rebel group and were physically strong as well. Another example, however, which tested them psychologically, was the test where they had to stand in a straight line and get shot at. What the children did not know was that the gun would not actual release bullets. They were deceived and told that they were above normal humans and would be protected from the enemies’ bullets because they were