Fraternity Hazing
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, stricter
Author Hank Nuwer states that, "In relation to the number of crimes committed annually, hazing laws are seldom invoked by district! attorneys. 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). Fraternities are looked upon as groups of adolescent males, surrounded by "oceans of beer; loud music; sweating and willing women" (DeParle 39). All fifty states have to pass anti-hazing laws so that hazing can be put to an end , without having more pledges die as result. " According to one pledge, fraternity members have "'a feeling that if I went through it, you should too. Many fraternities require their members to take a vow of secrecy and "to expose criminal behavior by a frat brother, for example, is referred to within the fraternity as 'catting' an offense punishable by even more severe beatings" (Milloy C1). As Eileen Stevens states in Marcus' article, "publicity about larger settlements and damage awards has forced many colleges to re-evaluate the fraternity social system and implement tougher rules" (B1). Nevertheless, it is not the pledge's fault, in getting himself into this type of situation. Hazing was used to test the pledges that wanted to join the fraternity, to make sure that the pledge was "fraternity material. If fraternities are giving the education about hazing, they should see that hazing has evolved into a big problem.
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