As parents, we typically associateย the term hazing with collegeย campuses and binge drinking. Howย many times in the course of yourย parenting journey have you said,ย โIt wonโt happen to my kidsโ? Butย it might. Today, hazing is not onlyย limited to colleges and, sadly, it hasย been taking place more frequently inย high schools settings.
Hazing is any action takenย or any situation createdย intentionally that causesย embarrassment, harassmentย or ridicule and risksย emotional and/or physicalย harm to members of a groupย or team, whether new or not,ย regardless of the personโsย willingness to participate. — HazingPrevention.org
In high schools, hazing accidents haveย been documented in such settings asย bands, athletic teams, academic clubs andย even honor societies. Incidents have alsoย occurred in club sports and in performingย arts organizations.
The important question to ask is, why isย hazing occurring? The answer is complex,ย but stems from children having a longingย to fit in with a group. They will typicallyย go along with what the other, often moreย popular, kids are doing to fit in or establishย their presence in the organization. Kidsย often feel that those who desire to be aย part of their group, whatever group that is,ย should go through some kind of initiation toย prove their worthiness. Hazing has grownย out of this initiation.
In 2008, the University of Maine publishedย their findings from the National Study ofย Student Hazing. This study concluded thatย 47 percent of all high school students haveย actually experienced some type of hazing.ย That is almost half of all high school students!
According to Insidehazing.com, theย statistics regarding high school hazingย are alarming. One and a half million highย school students are hazed each year, butย the scariest part is that 92 percent of highย school students said they would not reportย a hazing. Of these respondents, 59 percentย knew of hazing activities and 21 percentย admitted to having been involved in hazing.
Teenagers showcase their feelings in manyย ways, but when there is a sudden change inย behavior, weight or temperament, parentsย should investigate further. According toย Hazingprevention.org, victims of hazing mayย experience a change in sleeping or eatingย habits, withdrawal from normal activities,ย unexplained injuries or illness, a suddenย decrease in communication with friends, or aย need to leave an organization they have been aย part of, with no real explanation.
Hank Nuwer, author of โHigh Schoolย Hazing: When Rites Become Wrongsโย suggests several ways to prevent hazing inย high schools, including encouraging schoolsย to adopt a statement of awareness and aย zero-tolerance attitude regarding hazing.ย He also suggests that schools establish aย welcome program for new students andย avoid covering up instances of hazing.
Parents also play a key role in reducingย hazing. Educate your children aboutย treating others kindly and having respect forย classmates. Let them know that you will notย tolerate any sort of hazing behavior. If youย suspect any hazing in a school setting, youย must inform the school.
Most often, hazing is about power andย having control. It may have grown out ofย the idea of initiating a new member into aย group, but unfortunately, these initiationsย have devolved into demeaning and oftenย harmful experiences for newbies. Parentsย should look out for the various warningย signs hazing and guide their children toย get help and report the incident.