Smart Safety Solutions

Hazing

The awful practice of hazing

Hazing, in general, is defined as any initiation activity that relies on emotional or physical abuse to make one become a full member of a certain group. Hazing like this is common in organizations such as fraternities, sororities, athletics, high school, the military, and even workforces. It ranges from the mild to the extreme and has more than once in the last few years alone, resulted in the deaths of the initiates. Although it is very prevalent in our society, it is also very secretive, and therefore, not very well understood.

There have been many cases that have involved alcohol, usually consumed by the very young and inexperienced drinker. Generally these are with organizations like fraternities and sororities. Many of the people that are doing the hazing had been also been hazed and see it as a way to become a full- fledged member of the group, many will tell the other soon-to-be members that it is the only way, and it fact it might be as they see. There have been more than one case of college students drinking so much that they do not make it and die as a result of the amount of alcohol in their blood stream or from choking on their own vomit.

Laws need to be passed

There are many states that do have laws against hazing, but more need to follow their lead. Even with the laws passed, the secrecy can make it very tough to track down and prosecute. The next best things is getting it out in the open and talking about it, so that more people are aware that it is going on all around them. Many experts who have researched the subject claim that many of the people involved probably suffer from very low self-esteem and therefore have amore intense need to be part of a group at any cost. That is why it is so important to talk to your kids about hazing. They need to know that it is not normal and that many of the things that organizations will do to initiate people are quite disturbing and can (and do) lead to death.

Children need to know that there are also a great many organizations on campus that are more worthy of them and that do not expect such violent initiation ceremonies. It seems such a strange and primitive throw back to our own primordial beginnings when it was kill or be killed. The more that you talk to your kids about this phenomenon, the more likely they are to steer clear of situations like these.