Davionne Polk Mrs.

Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8

Hazing, Isnt fun for Anyone

Davionne Polk Mrs. Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8

Hazing, Isnt Fun for Anyone Hazing is major issue among teenagers. Victims and their parents are working to put a stop to these violent acts. Many fraternities/sororities and sport teams initiate new members by hazing. Hazing is not intended to hurt someone in most cases, but people do get hurt which is why it should be illegal, and banned. The topic I choose for my research project is hazing. You might stop and think why hazing, but hazing is a very important issue that is sweeping the nation. Too many innocent people get hurt and suffer physical and mental damage from hazing. Hazing is common among sports groups and fraternities/sororities and is humiliating to the victims. People who are forced to participate in this kind of behavior suffer many long term problems. Aside from the really dangerous activities that the offenders put the victims through, there are other types of hazing that cause more pain than you would think. So what is hazing, its a practice of rituals involving harassment, abuse, or humiliation. In other words hazing a form of bullying. Hazing is very popular among fraternities, sororities, sports teams, and other groups. Hazing has been used to initiate new members for a long time, and has changed a lot over the years; it has gone from harmless pranks, to violent acts. The blueprint of hazing, a newcomer is hazed. Once accepted by the group, they become a

Davionne Polk Mrs. Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8 bystander, and watch as others get hazed. Eventually, they go from bystander and finally achieve senior status, and the cycle starts all over again. Hazing has become very popular in teens and young adults in college and on sports teams. Trying to fit in is hard, whether its moving to a new town, switching schools, going off to college, change is difficult. Among teens, trying to fit in to a new environment is the hardest part. Especially when you are pressured into doing things you dont want to do just to be one of the popular kids or part of their group. There are three different kinds of hazing; subtle hazing, harassment hazing, and violent hazing. Subtle hazing is what we call soft hazing. (Hazing Defined) Theres no violence acts being done, but there is emotional damage being down. An example of soft hazing took place at Beloit Memorial High School, a young man who had just joined the wrestling team was to he had to do sit-ups with a towel over his face in the nude. (Will OBrien) This incident was not considered hazing because it was just horse play among the students, no physical harm was done. Does that make it right though, there is more to hazing than being physically hurt. Which bring us to harassment hazing. Being ridiculed, bullied, and threatened are all forms of harassment hazing. ( Hazing Defined) Harassment hazing has more to deal with emotions, and mental damage. Harassment hazing confuses, frustrates, and causes undue stress for new members/rookies. Harassing someone can really hit home and cause a lot of emotionally damage especially if that person isnt as strong minded, and is subsecpciable to the comments. Violent hazing is no different.

Davionne Polk Mrs. Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8 Violent hazing has to be the most common form of hazing there is. ( Just like the rest when to there is physical, emotional, or psychological harm. It is a form of hazing. Hazing took a new turn when it became violent. It was no longer consider playful to make others consume large amount of alcohol or drugs, hitting or punching, branding, and paddling. Things got even worse when students died from these things. Violent hazing is the worst form of hazing there is. On December third violent hazing caused the death of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion.( NBC Nightly News) It was said Champion was paddled, beat, and forced in to eating strange things. (NBC Nightly News) When he was laid to rest, his parents worked there hardest to sue the university. Another incident occurred like this in Flathead County where two young men were charged with misdemeanor assault for a sexually violent hazing. Reports say that Jones and Calobeer were sneaking up to the front of the darkened bus and pulling teammates out of their seats one by one, then forcibly carrying them to a back bus seat and assaulting them. Jones was said to be covering the victims mouths, while Calobeer held them. The victims of the football team were humiliated and much distress was caused by this. Another incident took place where nine students attending University of Florida were incarcerated for the striking pledged with paddles on January 20. ( CNN Wire Staff) Although the historically black fraternity has a zero, tolerance for hazing, and prohibits the activities. These acts were said to have taken place off campus. (CNN Wire Staff 2) Hazing needs to be stop it isnt just a game.

Davionne Polk Mrs. Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8 Many people think that hazing is just playing harmless pranks among new members of teams and fraternities/sororities groups bringing them closer together. Hazing occurs in athletics and Greek-letter organizations, and includes behaviors that are abusive, dangerous, and potentially illegal. Eighty-two percent of deaths of hazing included consumption of alcohol. This is the most popular way of initiation. Members of groups would play different drinking games testing the limits of the person being hazed and sometimes they push them too far where it leads to death. Many hazing incidents do not just involve members of the elite group, but sometimes also the coach or advisor of the group. Twenty-two percent of coaches or advisors are involved in hazing towards the athlete or student. Many of the coaches and advisors even perform the hazing incidents! When the coaches or advisor performs the hazing, it is less likely to be reported because the student or athlete is afraid to be removed from the group if he/she reports the hazing ritual. I asked my mother who is a Delta, does she feel that hazing has changed over the years since shes been out of school her reply, Yes it has changed a lot. She the proceed to tell mean about a task that each of them as a rush had to perform. The task was to knock down the wall. Tricky right, not for many, but of the girls it was like the taking an exam you didnt t have the answers too. The girl began to panic as her turn began to get closer. Just the thought of failing a task that simple made the girl tear up. She proceed to cry, and ran back to her dorm room. Although there was no type of physical distress, the girl was upset mentally. Hazing back then wasnt as violent and as painful at it is today. Back then the task to join a fraternity,

Davionne Polk Mrs. Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8 sororities, and other organizations was as hard. They were simply a test a will, brains, and brawns. This made joining those organizations worth it. The times have change because, now you have to suffer to win rank. We all have responsibilities and you are responsible weather you participate in the actions or not. There are steps and precautions one should take if you are being hazed, and even if youre a bystander it. One step and it has to be the most important is that weather you are participating or not is that were all responsible for hazing. (Hazing Prevention) In general, you are responsible for yourself. Your presence or absence may count towards responsibility. For example, even though you did not actively hurt someone, you also made no attempt to stop it, get help or report it. You may be held responsible for your lack of actions. Obviously if you participated in some hazardous behavior you may be held responsible. In the end, many people get away with a lot, but some get into deep trouble. Hazing has been banned in many states, but there still are many states that are ignoring hazing because of the simple fact that it is tradition. When tradition, causes so much hurt and lost changes have to be made. Even if states and schools choose not to completely ban hazing there should at least be some restrictions on it. I strongly believed that restrictions can help control some of the bullying going on when people are hazed. Schools can regularly monitor what goes on during Rush Week between different fraternities/sororities. They can even place boundaries on what they can and can not do to the rushies. For instance, no activities involving the consumption of alcohol, drugs, and anything deal with violence.

Davionne Polk Mrs. Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8 Many people who are part of the organizations who have beating the hazing, and have went on to join the group will argue that it isnt that bad. At point I thought so to, hazing separates who really wants to be a part of the group from the people who dont want to be a part of it. For instance when I was a freshman I was so excited to join the girls basketball team at my high school. I got to travel to different citys playing the sport I love, with some really cool people. It wasnt until the school year really started that I realize, I had my work cut out for me. One day at practice, all the veteran players pants the freshman, me being include. I didnt take offense to it I find everything to be a joke. Simple things we would do to test our abilitys under pressure. I t didnt see it as bullying in no way shape or form. Hazing is used to prove whos really willing to go the distance for the team. Hazing has become a social phenomenon that harms many student athletes and group participates by endangering their physical health, creating discomfort, and putting great risk on the student of getting mentally and physically hurt. That feeling in your gut that somethings not right, the leader is overly aggressive, and the rumors you hear are all warning signs and when people sit there and fail to acknowledge the warning signs they make it no better. In reality, everyone wants to be accepted into a group or be a part of something. But when they are willing to do anything for it, like getting hazed to be part of that group, then its just another form of bullying gone to the extreme.

Davionne Polk Mrs. Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8

Keim, Will. "StopHazing.org -- "Educating to Eliminate Hazing"" StopHazing.org -- "Educating to Eliminate Hazing" RainStorm Consulting, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. Subtle hazing is what we call soft hazing. (Hazing Defined) Being ridiculed, bullied, and threatened are all forms of harassment hazing. ( Hazing Defined) "Hazing.cornell.edu a Revealing Look at Hidden Rites." Arguments For & Against. N.p., 12 Aug. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. Staff, CNN Wire. "9 Charged with Hazing at University of Florida Fraternity." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. Kenndy, Robert. "Hazing." About.com Private Schools. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. O'brien, Will. "Students Cited in 'soft Hazing' Incident." Beloit Daily News. N.p., 22 Dec. 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. "Occidental College." The Hazing Spectrum. N.p., 20 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. On December third violent hazing caused the death of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion.( NBC Nightly News) Champion was paddled, beat, and forced in to eating strange things. (NBC Nightly News)

Davionne Polk Mrs. Verdun February 21, 2014 English IV B8 Another incident took place where nine students attending University of Florida were incarcerated for the striking pledged with paddles on January 20. ( CNN Wire Staff) Although the historically black fraternity has a zero, tolerance for hazing, and prohibits the activities. These acts were said to have taken place off campus. (CNN Wire Staff 2) . One step and it has to be the most important is that weather you are participating or not is that you were all responsible for hazing. (Hazing Prevention)