Fraternity Hazing is Deadly
Hazing (subjecting newcomers to abusive or humiliating tricks and ridicule) has always been seen as a secretive campus activity when it comes to fraternities and pledging. As a result, Dr. Mark Taff resorted in his article that, "..a series of 168 cases of injuries and deaths related to fraternity hazing activities...[occurred] in the United States between 1923 and 1982" (2113). Young college men are being hospitalized and even worse, dying, just for a couple of friends that give them a sense of belonging. The major causes of hazing are the students' wanting a sense of belonging in a big college campus, the college's infrequent knowledge of what occurs in fraternities, and the unwillingness of fraternities to change tradition. Since hazing has been around for more than a century, one cannot expect the practice of hazing to stop all together. It will probably take years before hazing perishes from the fraternity scene. Nevertheless, until an end is put to hazing, solutions can !be used to make hazing less common, until it no longer exists. These solutions that may be able to put an eventual stop to hazing, in the long run, are better education about fraternity hazing,
Fraternities have to show society that they do have a beneficial purpose, and that they are not all about beer and women. One final solution that could restrict hazing, and eventually put a stop to it, is stricter laws that prevent hazing from occurring. Together, these three solutions are able to prevent hazing now, end hazing in the long run. Already initiated fraternity members have to consider that they did not enjoy what was done to them during pledging, so why would future members enjoy hazing. Not only are college men being hospitalized but many are putting their lives on the line, and even dying, just so they can be considered a "brother" in a fraternity. The causes of hazing, a need of wanting to fit in by the students, no interest from college administrators and the fraternities unwillingness to break tradition, are all making incidents all too common in campuses today. Some fraternities have "rules already approved, "in which, "applicants for membership must be interviewed by members and then in which they will be taught about the fraternity group" (Marriott B3). An example of a hazing victim is typically a white male 19 to 20 years of age, who is experiencing some types of injuries between the months of February and April or September and October (the pledging seasons). The college expressed that "although they deeply regretted the tragedy, etc. [have] helped achieve [anti-hazing laws] in Wisconsin, South Carolina, and New Jersey, respectively" (252). , they could accept no responsibility for what had happened" (Nuwer 11). If fraternity members think this way then how can hazing be prevented so that innocent men do not die just for friends and a "feeling of belonging.
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