The Dangers of Hazing in Higher Education

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

In Greek fraternities, a culture that supports and encourages sexual violence thrives. My paper will focus on the relationship between the fraternity culture and lack of response that creates this life-ruining problem. The topic is important to all college students because of the lifelong consequences to both victims and perpetrators of sexual violence.

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 differences between interactions of social events are derived from people feeling secure and protected verses feeling threatened and helpless. Campus settings are interrupted as high-risk environments for rape culture and are seen to promote sexual aggression from the dominant groups. When looking at systemic factors in the problem we can see how fraternities create guideline that follow in the traditions of perpetuating rape culture. Men who participated in fraternity living arrangements are encouraged to interact and bond with like-minded members. Often these brothers are not encouraged to develop or share experiences with others outside of the fraternity. This level of involvement embraces the dominant cultural beliefs or values to be see as a way of life. Without being able to experience healthy and diverse situation these people are

Reitman acquires information that in 2010, a first year student by the name of Andrew Lohse, pledged to a fraternity called Sigma Alpha Epsilon which disclosed the traditions of Greek hazing. The article elaborately describes the acts of hazing new pledges must face. “One brother recalls the night some of the pledges were served a scramble of vomit and eggs, known as a ‘vomlet’” (356). Lohse unveiled all of the hazing events that he had been involved with for nearly two years, until it had become clear that

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

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

College; some look for the experience to open their minds in extending their educations; as others look at it as the first step towards adulthood and running away from home as fast as possible. Sororities and fraternities have been around for decades with America’s blind eye turned towards the injustices that encompass the stigma. Student hazing deaths are climbing and something has to change to prevent these actions. What will it take to change fraternity culture?

To some fraternity and sorority chapters hazing may be a way of group bonding and teaching respect, it is not indispensable. Hazing has been going on for quite amount of time, and banning organization who haze will make other chapters want to inflict pain and humiliation to their own pledges. Not only does is lead to a physical and mental breakdown path, but it also weakens the students and strips them of their power. Studies have shown that there are in fact fraternity and sorority chapters who believe that hazing is unnecessary, degrading and view it as juvenile, do not haze their members and perform true Greek rituals. Those chapters reported to become popular on campuses and did not see a loss in member loyalty and respect (Lowery). Fraternity

While the college may “shut down” the chapter, it “will ‘recolonize’ on the campus, and in a few years the house will be back in business” allowing for these actions to reoccur and the dark side of greek life envelop the campus once again. Beta Theta Pi’s court-related actions toward the Piazza family were uncivil because they proved how the fraternity only cared about their own reputation and the money involved. Flanagan explains to her audience that the Piazza’s “will discover how thoroughly these organizations have indemnified themselves against culpability in such deaths” in order to protect their own image. Flanagan also says how “the cycle will begin again,” meaning that these actions are continuously occurring in our nation. Which further proves her point that proper legal action is rarely enforced when it comes to Greek life. The most disturbing point that Flanagan brought up, is how only one Beta Theta Pi member showed concern for Tim Piazza while he was nearing death on a couch. Being beaten by his “brothers”, Tim’s last minutes were spent being ignored and abused all because of his social status of being a “pledge”. Flanagan’s point demonstrates how the “brothers” involved in Tim’s death showed zero compassion for their pledge during his last minutes of

Back in 2015 there was a great concern with fraternity homicides, especially with Asian-American fraternities and sororities. Originated from Chinese men in 1916 attending Cornell University, there are now more than 65 Asian-American fraternities and sororities throughout the country today. They were created because Asians found themselves excluded from the other white fraternities in many universities. Unknown to many because it’s members keep the organization’s movements underground, similar to the code of other fraternities, they have had many disasters in their “pledging”. One of the largest of them all, Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, has

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

This scenario can impact me because it makes me think harder about watching people drink. You never know what could happen to someone when they are under the influence. You have to be alert and understand what is going on, and what situation you might have put yourself in. Always know what recourses you have, and who you should be able to contact in case of emergency. This incident showed me that alcohol is nothing to play with, and people can really get hurt if it came down to it. The other boys in the fraternity never knew something like this was going to happen, and they were not prepared for what ended up happening in the end.

I am sending you a follow up email to strongly encourage you to participate in our Anti-Hazing panel which will be taking place on Tuesday 8pm in the Theater of the Round. It will be a great night to take a pledge and help expand the conversation on hazing within our community. I am requesting that you and your NME(New member educator) come out to help us show that Seton Hall is truly against hazing in the Greek community.