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High School Hazing
by Allison Bloom, 08.12.03
The administration allows these things to go on every year. |
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When Missy made the cheerleading team she was ecstatic. But before she could cheer at football games or even try on her uniform, she had to get through "Hell Night."
This so-called "squad tradition" required her to dress in skimpy pajamas and parade around the mall on a Friday night eating dog food. "It was embarrassing, but it was a school tradition," says Missy, 19. "It didn't seem like a big deal at the time."
But it is a big deal. This kind of hazing made the news most recently when a group of senior girls at Glenbrook North High School in Illinois were arrested for covering junior girls in mud, feces, paint, and garbage while onlookers cheered.
Do Unto Others?
Once considered a practice unique to college fraternities and sororities, hazing now occurs in some high schools, and even middle schools. Stophazing.org considers hazing to be initiation practices that cause mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.
So ... why on earth would a person force another person to, say, eat dog food?
"There is a purpose," claims one anonymous poster to the Web site, who was hazed and now hazes other people. "It teaches the pledges togetherness, communication, respect, courage, and a huge sense of accomplishment. ... I am a much stronger person and I can accomplish anything I want to no matter how big or small."
According to Hank Nuwer, author of High School Hazing: When Rites Become Wrongs, hazing is common at the high school level because young people at that age crave rituals, challenges, and a sense of status.
"Rites of passage are integral and valuable in welcoming new members to a group or students to a school," says Nuwer. "But sometimes these rituals cross the line."
What Counts?
So at what point does a seemingly harmless "ritual" become a form of abuse or humiliation?
Some forms of hazing, like assaulting someone or taking their possessions, are easy to recognize, because they're illegal. More "subtle" forms of hazing can be harder to spot.
If you're ever in a position where you are expected to take part in some kind of club initiation, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- Is there a risk of injury?
- Could it cause emotional or physical discomfort?
- Is there a possibility it will hurt someone else?
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, then it's probably hazing.
Ending the Tradition
When hazing crosses over into criminal territory — like assault — schools can usually put a stop to it or punish the offenders. But more subtle forms of hazing, like humiliating new members, often go under the radar. Many club initiations have been in place for decades, and school administrators often have a hard time punishing students who participate in them. "Although some school rules are broken, the administration allows these things to go on every year," says Amy, 17. Schools may also have a tough time punishing students if the practices take place outside school grounds.
To curtail hazing in your school, Nuwer suggests establishing a welcome committee for first-year students or organizing events that foster the spirit of camaraderie in athletic groups or clubs. "If everyone shares in a group's responsibilities, a better team spirit is created," Nuwer says.
Other ideas include instituting a formal review of all school traditions, increasing club supervision, and writing a school policy on hazing that is co-authored by students and teachers.
"We formed a policy in our school that eventually eliminated a favorite tradition," says Parker, 17. "We were sad to see it go, but we realized it was harsh to younger students, and we found better ways to introduce them to the school without humiliating them."
If you're being pressured to participate in hazing activities, talk to a parent or teacher that you trust. No club or peer group is worth risking your dignity, your safety, or your life. And anyway, do you really want to be a part of a group that requires its members to eat dog food? Respect yourself — you're worth it! |
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