EXAMPLES
OF HAZING |
The following are some examples of hazing divided into three categories: subtle, harassment, and violent. It is impossible to list all possible hazing behaviors because many are context-specific. While this is not an all-inclusive list, it provides some common examples of hazing traditions.
More Examples.
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A. SUBTLE
HAZING:
Behaviors that emphasize a power imbalance between new members/rookies and other members of the group or team. Termed “subtle hazing” because these types of hazing are often taken-for-granted or accepted as “harmless” or meaningless. Subtle hazing typically involves activities or attitudes that breach reasonable standards of mutual respect and place new members/rookies on the receiving end of ridicule, embarrassment, and/or humiliation tactics. New members/rookies often feel the need to endure subtle hazing to feel like part of the group or team. (Some types of subtle hazing may also be considered harassment hazing). |
Some Examples:
- Deception
- Assigning demerits
- Silence
periods with implied threats for violation
- Deprivation of privileges granted to other members
- Requiring new members/rookies to perform duties not assigned to other members
- Socially isolating new members/rookies
- Line-ups and Drills/Tests on meaningless information
- Name calling
- Requiring new members/rookies to refer to other members with titles (e.g. “Mr.,” “Miss”) while they are identified with demeaning terms
- Expecting certain items to always be in one's possession
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| B. HARASSMENT
HAZING: Behaviors that cause emotional anguish or physical discomfort in order to feel like part of the group. Harassment hazing confuses, frustrates, and causes undue stress for new members/rookies. (Some types of harassment hazing can also be considered violent hazing).
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Some Examples:
- Verbal abuse
- Threats or implied threats
- Asking new members to wear embarrassing or humiliating attire
- Stunt or skit nights with degrading, crude, or humiliating acts
- Expecting new members/rookies to perform personal service to other members such as carrying books, errands, cooking, cleaning etc
- Sleep deprivation
- Sexual simulations
- Expecting new members/rookies to be deprived of maintaining a normal schedule of bodily cleanliness.
- Be expected to harass others
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| C. VIOLENT
HAZING : Behaviors that have the potential to cause physical and/or emotional, or psychological harm.
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Some Examples:
- Forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption
- Beating, paddling, or other forms of assault
- Branding
- Forced or coerced ingestion of vile substances or concoctions
- Burning
- Water intoxication
- Expecting abuse or mistreatment of animals
- Public nudity
- Expecting illegal activity
- Bondage
- Abductions/kidnaps
- Exposure to cold weather or extreme heat without appropriate protection
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Hazing
Defined
“Hazing”
refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group
(or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades
or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the
person's willingness to participate. In years past,
hazing practices were typically considered harmless pranks
or comical antics associated with young men in college fraternities.
Today
we know that hazing extends far beyond college fraternities
and is experienced by boys/men and girls/women in school groups,
university organizations, athletic teams, the military, and
other social and professional organizations. Hazing is a complex
social problem that is shaped by power dynamics operating
in a group and/or organization and within a particular cultural
context.
Hazing
activities are generally considered to be: physically
abusive, hazardous, and/or sexually violating. The
specific behaviors or activities within these categories
vary widely among participants, groups and settings. While
alcohol use is common in many types of hazing, other examples
of typical hazing practices include: personal servitude;
sleep deprivation and restrictions on personal hygiene;
yelling, swearing and insulting new members/rookies; being
forced to wear embarrassing or humiliating attire in public;
consumption of vile substances or smearing of such on one's
skin; brandings; physical beatings; binge drinking and
drinking games; sexual simulation and sexual assault.
Some
common definitions and examples of hazing are below:
In the
Alfred/NCAA survey of college athletes, hazing was defined
as:
"any
activity expected of someone joining a group that
humiliates,
degrades, abuses or endangers, regardless of the person's
willingness to participate. This does not include activities
such as rookies carrying the balls, team parties with community
games, or going out with your teammates, unless an atmosphere
of humiliation, degradation, abuse or danger arises."
“Hazing
is an activity that a high-status member orders other members
to engage in or suggests that they engage in that in some
way humbles a newcomer who lacks the power to resist, because
he or she want to gain admission to a group. Hazing can
be noncriminal, but it is nearly always against the rules
of an institution, team, or Greek group. It can be criminal,
which means that a state statute has been violated. This
usually occurs when a pledging-related activity results
in gross physical injury or death” (from Hank Nuwer's book Wrongs
of Passage , 1999, p. xxv).
Hazing
is defined by the FIPG (Fraternal Information Programming
Group) as:
"Any
action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether
on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical
discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such
activities may include but are not limited to the following:
use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive
fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure
hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities
carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter
house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and
not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and
buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and
activities; and any other activities which are not consistent
with fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations
and policies of the educational institution."
"1.
If you have to ask if it's hazing, it is.
2. If in doubt,
call your advisor/coach/national office. If you won't pick
up the phone, you have your answer. Don't B.S. yourself.
3. If you haze, you have low self-esteem.
4. If you allow
hazing to occur, you are a 'hazing enabler.'
5. Failure
to stop hazing will result in death..."
Will
Keim, Ph.D., "The Power of Caring"
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