The Controversial Role Of Hazing In The Present Day

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,

Hazing is a very serious issue throughout America. Hazing, by definition, is any action or

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

The United States Marine Corps is unfortunately involved in an underlying issue within its own ranks called hazing. Hazing is an overlooked problem being dealt with today in the military as it is enforced and prevented. As hazing is becoming more commonly identified, Marines are being held accountable. As you read this paper you will find out about this issue. You will be engaged in the Marine Corps order that covers this very topic. General James F. Amos scrutinizes the act of hazing in saying, “Hazing is contrary to our core values of honor, courage, and commitment and is prejudicial to good order and discipline.” He continues to explain that hazing greatly reduces morale, esprit de corps, pride, professionalism, and unit cohesiveness.

Hazing is usually about supremacy and dominance, this is to make those in charge postulate that they are formidable. Though a small amount may not be included majority of college delta clubs are guilty of the act of hazing. In order to be in a certain organization, people might be asked to perform dangerous ceremonies. According to the author Ally Hirschlag, a former pledge Britteny Starling, was forced to pretend as if she was a human trash can and mop. She would clean juice from the ground and accumulate the waste from other sister’s using only her fingers and pouches. They weren’t finished with her yet, she had to stay awake all night without permission for the bathroom, to make things worse she had to stand all night. When Brittney’s leg couldn’t handle it anymore one of the so called sisters smashed her ankle causing injury. Due to this she sued, which shut down Zeta Phi Beta sorority located at the University of California. This event shows that these so called sisters just want to feel in control, the tasks set for the pledges is a test of courage WRONG, It’s for the pleasure of someone else’s satisfaction. Hazing is ABUSE; it lowers one’s standards and makes them a slave towards their so called “brothers/sisters”. Her not being able to use the bathroom, while standing up is cruel. The fact that one of her sisters hit her on the ankle when she couldn’t take it anymore was evil. An associate (sister) is meant to help the pledges guide them and show them the

Yet, even after all the abuse, members of these organizations continue to feel that because they had to suffer through this act of initiation to get into the group, their successors must also be fall subject to these activities. Naturally, people want and need to be accepted. This is why an individual will go along with the hazing activities. Valerie Eastman, a behavioral science professor at Drury College in Springfield, MO, states "You know you're a reasonable person and you just went through this nasty, unpleasant ritual, so you think the group must have been worth it. You try to justify it" (Wagner 16).

In February of this year, a 19-year-old brother at the fraternity’s Cornell University chapter died following a ritual in which he was kidnapped by several pledges and given alcohol each time he incorrectly answered a question about the fraternity. During this process, he was blindfolded and his hands and feet were tied. His blood-alcohol level was four-times the legal driving limit in New York. In the article “Safe and Sound” there was another incident ‘Florida A&M University (FAMU), which was under fire a few years ago for an incident in which a member of the school’s marching band was killed during hazing.’ Also in the other article ‘High School, Where Hazing is Amazing’ it says that 10 students had felony charges for hazing freshman on the basketball and baseball teams. Hazing is a huge problem it is basically strenuous, humiliating, task of a program/group of beyond hard physical training and initiation. This problem needs to be solved because there has been many of deaths and sever injuries from this type of ‘activity’ being performed. In the “Prevent deaths, lawsuits by tackling Greek hazing issues” they said “Inform your behavioral

In regards to the case article, the Virginia Hazing Law states that the way that a court can rule for the plaintiff with a claim of hazing is if the plaintiff has been suffered bodily harm with physical signs. Therefore, the plaintiff who brings up such claims has the burden of proof to bring medical documents and/or photos that prove the claim of hazing, which was accompanied with bodily harm. Unfortunately, this was a problem for the plaintiff in this particular case. In the case of hazing within UVA Men’s Swim team, the plaintiff filed a claim against the defendants of hazing. However, the defendant, in agreement with the court, stated that the hazing of the plaintiff could not stand because the plaintiff did not acquire any physical bodily harm from the alleged hazing. In addition, the plaintiff did not seek medical attention to support his claims. Therefore, the claim does not stand under the Virginia Hazing

In recent years, people everywhere have started to question and criticize zero tolerance policies. People are beginning to realize that zero tolerance policies (as strict as those practiced now) do not belong in universities or colleges. Students do not benefit from these policies and are often hurt by them. This happens through students being punished for minuscule acts, disproportional punishments, and the schools’ obliviousness to the plethora of other less abrasive options available.

For the past 16 years, persistent combat operations, deployment readiness training exercises, and reintegration efforts have consumed the U.S. Army. Continuous deployments and significant time away from home station have increased the stress levels of the force. As new recruits and members of an Army organization integrate into a combat-hardened force, initiation and membership rituals continue to occur. Recent reports of new recruits and Soldiers serving in a war zone detail horrible and debilitating cases of hazing and bullying which led to the deaths of service members (Manzanedo, 2013).

In recent years several high profile national cases have brought hazing to the forefront in American society as a real issue and a problematic one at that. According to recent statistics from the University of Maine, 1.5 million high school students are hazed each year. Of the athletes who have reported hazing, 40% have reported that a coach or advisor was aware of the activity. 22% report that the coach was actually involved in the activities. (Allan & Madden, 2008). Moreover, 36% of students say they would not report hazing primarily because “there’s no one to tell,” and 27% feel that officials or coaches won’t handle the situation right. In additional research a survey was conducted in which coaches were questioned

Since hazing can endanger the physical safety of a person, and produces mental, physical discomfort, and causes dismay, humiliation, and dehumanizes an individual, society needs to learn about hazing and stop it from happening. We know that people consider it a tradition that has been going on for ages, but it’s an appalling experience to go through. Everywhere around the world hazing is happening and not one person can do a thing about it. The earliest recorded event of hazing occurred in eighteen thirty-eight. The first recorded death happened in eighteen forty-eight. (Hank). So you can see why some may consider it a tradition.

Often times hazing is a big problem we see occurring in our society. Whether it is occurring within a sports team, sorority, school, friends, or even a group of co-workers, we hear about it on a relatively frequent basis. Often times hazing stories are justified by the person committing the act of hazing and over dramatized by the media. Conducting a full study on whether hazing actually exists and the multiple ways it exists can help members of our society to further understand the implications of the action. Throughout this study the definition of hazing has been explored as well as superfluous examples to prove hazing is prominent in our society and laws and actions taken against

Hazing has grown to become a major social problem. Recent incidents have been documented in marching bands, religious cults, and other types of clubs. Reports of hazing

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