Fraternities and Why They are Misunderstood
Fraternities have been a major part of student life at universities all over the world since the beginning of the 20th century. For many students they have offered an improvement in social life, more friends, opportunities for athletics, and a great sense of brotherhood. Unfortunately, since their beginning fraternities have been questioned about their activities. Many people today think that they subject their members to harmful acts better known as "hazing." Massachusetts General law defines hazing as:
[A]ny conduct or method of initiation into any student organization, whether on public or private property, which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any
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Fraternity issues like this one are very ugly and truly bring out the worst in everyone. I am completely shocked that a lawyer would even take a case such as this one where a fraternity member is obviously guilty. In another incident, university police have arrested three men on the charge of battery. Two of the men alleged that they were hit on the buttocks 30 times with a 2-by-4, and another student said he was hit approximately 10 times. The incident has raised numerous questions about the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, according to campus officials. The event became public knowledge when Edward Pratt, the dean of students spoke on the topic. Pratt summed the course of events as "This incident is particularly bad because it is part of a secret organization"(Anderson). Pratt describes the situation as "Underground organizations feel more immune to regular laws and regulations and any kind of policing....They feel they can violate peoples rights"(Anderson). Pratt says "many of the undergraduate pledges initially would not speak about any of the incidences, because they were maintaining their code of secrecy"(Anderson). This code of honor is one of the main obstacles that investigators have to overcome when trying to find the truth. What the school and the investigators have to understand is that no fraternity member wants to be responsible for the possible end of their organization. This act of treason
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
Fraternities began as a way to teach young men how to represent themselves proudly and with respect. Fraternities are plagued with false stereotypes and misconceptions, but do these ideas hold any truth to them? The majority of stereotypes come from rare incidents involving only a few fraternities, but these incidents play out in front of the entire nation, and then the stigma began. Fraternities are viewed as detriments to college campuses for a while now. Media influences the spread of rumors and slander about fraternities.
Do away with hazing. Fraternities have been set up seeing that businesses specialized in developing character as well as command between young men. We've generally held that there is room regarding hazing within this natural environment. Functions of hazing are kitchen counter towards character with the fraternity motion, and will end up being eliminated. We need to include no building up a tolerance. People who violate this coverage should be held towards best level with the legislations.
Many college groups, especially Greek-letter organizations and athletic teams, have come under fire for engaging in hazing practices that violate school policies and local laws (“Hazing”). Hazing comes in many forms and can result in physical and psychological harm. Most practices of hazing are categorized by two common types: subtle and violent. Subtle hazing is often a kind of hazing that is taken for granted or accepted as “meaningless” but is just the opposite. Subtle forms include verbal abuse, sleep deprivation, social isolation, and harassment, which can all have an exceedingly strong pull of one’s emotional and general stability as an individual in a college setting. Violent hazing such as forced alcohol and drug consumption, beating, branding, and sexual assault are instances that can easily result in injury and death (“Hazing”). A study was also conducted in 2015 that showed that seventy-one percent of those who are hazed suffer from negative consequences that may include but are not limited to loss of sense of control and empowerment, decline in grades and course work, and illness or hospitalization with additional effects on family and friends. (“Hazing and Its
The acts of senseless abuse and misjudgment must be prevented in future instances. In New York the hazing law states: "A person is guilty of hazing in the first degree when, in the course of another person's initiation into or affiliation with any organization he intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or a third person and thereby causes such injury. Hazing in the first degree is a class A misdemeanor. A person is guilty of hazing in the second degree when, in the course of another person's initiation or affiliation with any organization, he intentionally or recklessly engages in conduct, which creates a substantial risk of physical injury to such other person or a third person. Hazing in the second degree is a violation." (New York Hazing Law)
Hazing is known as action that usually takes place when one wishes to join an organization, club or sports team. Generally, hazing is found to take place on most college campuses. Research has shown that 2 in 5 students say that they are aware of hazing taking place on their college campus. It’s not common for hazing to happen during Middle or High School years. Unfortunately, there have been over 250,000 students that have experienced some form of hazing. On a rare occasion do students, coaches, or advisors admit to having any knowledge of hazing activities. Hazing is usually conducted by someone that likes to feel that they are in control and may even be considered a bully. This action is somewhat one that causes an individual to experience or find themselves in harmful and embarrassing situations. It some cases people have been known
Attending college is often times the next and most exciting step for new high school graduates. As a college student, you get to live on campus, meet other students, and have your own responsibilities; it can be a great feeling. For students who enjoy leadership and the company of others, there are clubs, sports, and many other ways to put your skills to use. However, the exploitation of hazing can not only interrupt and damage your image as a student, but also the morals you have for yourself. Hazing is a recurring problem in fraternities/sororities and other social associations across the nation that needs to stop because it is life- threatening and out of control.On February 3rd, Tim Piazza arrived at Hershey Medical Center with injuries such as, “a lacerated spleen, an abdomen full of blood, and multiple traumatic brain injuries,” after falling down a flight of stairs while intoxicated at his fraternity hazing event (Flanagan).
Hazing is the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation or forcing someone to do humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals, especially as imposed on college students seeking membership to a fraternity or
Deindividuation- The college students are completely immerged in the hazing fraternity ritual and lost all sense of personal morals or character for the duration of the ritual.
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
Students must cause harm to their own body. a. Binge drinking has been popular and taken place many times (Alcohol Positioning). b. Sexual attacks, or self-attacks have been placed upon students, 2. Students have to do something embarrassing. a. The stripping of clothes and all garments for anyone to see can cause humiliation.
Position Statement: Hazing Kappa Kappa Gamma recognizes the inherent dangers of hazing. Accordingly, Kappa Kappa Gamma strictly prohibits any form of hazing, which the Fraternity broadly defines as any activity or action taken with or without consent of the individual involved that produces mental, emotional, psychological or physical discomfort, intimidation, humiliation, degradation, embarrassment, harassment or ridicule. In addition to the Fraternity’s hazing policy, members are reminded that they are also subject to local, state/provincial, and federal law and the rules and regulations of the college or university where a Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter is located. Any member who participates in or permits hazing, as defined by Fraternity
What do you hear the most about college? Is it the parties, the freedom, the frats and/or the sororities? Most likely it is the last two. You hear about the sisterhood or brotherhood and how much fun they have on the weekends. The one thing that they sometimes “forget” to tell you about is their initiation of better known as hazing. Hazing in Fraternities and/or Sororities has been wrongful impacting students for centuries and needs to be stopped.
Hazing can switch out from a "little harmless" prank to a very dangerous and prodigious situation. Just because it looks good on the outside doesn’t make it the same on the inside. A lot of people look at hazing as a fun activity where most people doesn’t really enjoy it but being harmed. The victims would most likely take part because they usually want to join a social group or want to fit in. For instance, some have taking hazing to a higher initiation level of humiliation which likely to end up to a point of physical abuse. According to Black Haze : Violence, Sacrifice, and Manhood in Black Greek-Letter Fraternities by Ricky L. Jones, "almost 94 percent of the black cases involved physical abuse—with all four deaths caused by physical hazing"(Jones 5). As you can see the dilemma is growing bigger and bigger. This problem is not only in college but even in high school, "Every kind of high school group was involved in hazing, including 24 percent of the students involved in church groups"(Jones 2). A friend of mine, Ashley, was mentioning to me back in her high school days to try out for the school dance team was almost a form of hazing. It wasn’t as bad as when trying to go in into a fraternity or sorority group but it was very similar. She had to do certain things just to prove
Hazing has always been seen as a secretive campus activity when it comes to fraternities and pledging. A series of many cases of injuries and deaths related to fraternity hazing activities occurred in the United States over periods of time. Young college men are being hospitalized and even worse, dying, just for a couple of friends that give them a sense of belonging. The major causes of hazing are the students' wanting a sense of belonging in a big college campus, the college's infrequent knowledge of what occurs in fraternities, and the unwillingness of fraternities to change tradition. Since hazing has been around for more than a century, one cannot expect the practice of hazing to stop all together. It will probably take years