The Importance Of Hazing In Human Culture

Hazing is a concept that has been seeing increasing prevalence in America, especially within the past few decades. Indeed, hazing can be done for any number of reasons, yet the increasing prominence of technology such as social media means that the message that is sent through hazing is more salient now than ever. Although these traditions are a way to help promulgate the violence and reduce it, it is nevertheless as inhumane as causing direct harm, yet despite this, current laws do little to stem the tide of hazing incidents, nor to protect those who are vulnerable to them. This is especially disgusting when one considers the psychological, mental, and, in many cases, physical harm that can ultimately arise as a result of hazing. For this
reason, it is necessary to examine this concept of hazing from a number of different angles, including its traditions and history, the FAMU incident, Greek organizations, and the role of hazing in the military.
For starters, it is necessary to examine some of the history and origins of hazing in general, in order to gain a more thorough understanding of it. To that end, one source states that hazing, by definition, is "...the abuse of new or prospective group members" (Cimino 241). This, of course, can take many forms, and as such, it has existed in many different shapes and forms throughout the years. For example, the article states that the origins of hazing lie not just in the act of hazing itself, but in many of the psychological constants that have led to hazing in the past, and will continue to contribute to it as well, no doubt (Cimino 242). In fact, the article posits that hazing has existed within human society, especially recently, because of the role of what are known as "evolved motivational systems," which this article believes have contributed to the generation and sustaining of hazing behavior over the centuries (Cimino 242).
It should be clarified that hazing is distinct from many other elements within human culture and civilization.
For instance, the same source maintains that hazing is more than simply the sum of a particular group's initiation activities. The distinction, then, largely comes from a mismatch between what an individual wants or is capable of doing, with what they are being required to do (Cimino 242-243). The example given is having a group of body builders lift a number of cinderblocks, versus the local book club. The cruelty and animosity within hazing, then, becomes obvious. Furthermore, hazing has a number of psychological benefits for those that are doing the hazing that have allowed it to persist for so long. For example, according to the source, hazing generates what is known as "group solidarity," functions as an open expression of dominance to both the victim and those who witness it, and also allows for the selection of committed group members (Cimino
243-244).
These reasons have only become stronger over the years, as the need for hazing, due to such a stark increase in population, as well as a popularization of the means to disperse it, has increased. One of the most disturbing examples of this is what is known as the FAMU Incident. This incident took place when members of a band were accused of killing Robert Champion at a Florida A&M, marking the first known fatality from hazing in particular (Burke 1). This fatality has raised a number of different questions regarding the ethics and legality surrounding hazing, as well as what, specifically, defines it. To that end, the article also states that there are more sweeping federal laws and other changes being made to the legal system in the United States in order to more clearly accommodate and define hazing as a more concrete crime (Burke 3). Much of the reason for this is a more retrospective understanding of how hazing can indirectly hurt those victims of it. For example, many victims, such as Private Danny Chen, committed suicide as a result of hazing, although this connection was not made until hazing became more of a known threat.
One particularly disturbing area where hazing is prevalent are Greek fraternities, obviously popular in all types of college campuses across the country. Here, hazing serves a number of different purposes. It can be used as a tool of initiation, or as a means to somehow punish a member, or as a means of instilling fear. Whatever the reason, hazing is especially harmful in this context because of the effect that it can have on the remainder of these students' lives, as well as the relatively young age at which it occurs.
What is perhaps most disturbing, within this context, is the prevalence that hazing has achieved on a campus-wide scale. In fact, according to one source, hazing has been experienced by about 55 percent of the students that participated in the study (Allan and Madden). Furthermore, the same study also found that hazing does not have some sort of underlying philosophy or root cause, in terms of specific motivations, but rather that hazing is used as a more universal and versatile tool by many of these Greek organizations. This is made even more disturbing by the fact that alcohol, according to the source, play a critical role in hazing across these student organizations (Allan and Madden). For example, many hazing practices involve the victim drinking so much alcohol that they become sick or pass out, much to the amusement of everyone else.
Hazing, then, is a problem that has achieved salience largely because of a lack of definition as to what exactly constitutes it. Of the students in a particular study who reported hazing behavior, ninety percent of them did not consider themselves to have been hazed, and this is likely due in no small part to the overall lack of definition and understanding regarding hazing. This is likely because many students see some sort of ultimate goal or purpose in their hazing, wearing it as a badge of honor, of sorts. This is one of the main reasons why current laws do so little to combat it, because it is seen by many judges and others in the legal system as harmless fun; a way for entities like fraternities to weed out the weenies, so to speak, and ensure that their numbers are only filled with the strongest or bravest. Unfortunately, many sources point out that hazing actually does the exact opposite: it dehumanizes the victims and, in many cases, inflicts psychological harm, and there are a number of examples of this.
One article, for instance, stresses that hazing does not know gender boundaries, and is prevalent even in sororities as well. This can be observed in the case of Kira Kazantsev, who was forced out of Hostra University due to hazing concerns, according to the source (McKay). Furthermore, hazing, within this context, is especially disturbing and dehumanizing because it, oftentimes, takes advantage of the victim's trust. This is because many fraternities, sororities, and similar entities function as a "family" away from home, with the initiation and other "necessary" hazing measures functioning as a mere rite of passage (McKay). This is why so many students are devoted to these hazing procedures, even though common sense might dictate that they are obviously being abused psychologically.
Of course, hazing is not limited merely to academic institutions. Indeed, hazing actually takes places fairly regularly in many other entities, such as the military, as well. In fact, one source states that not only is hazing extremely prevalent within this context, but it is much more diverse than in other applications, with the line between what is and is not considered hazing becoming more and more blurry (Klimas). For instance, the source posits a simple question: what type of grease constitutes hazing? Many rituals within the military involve the use of vegetable shortening in order to make challenging the Naval Academy's annual Herndon Monument climb, yet other types of oils that are poisonous, are considered to be hazing (Klimas). It is these simple distinctions that have made hazing so difficult to define in the past. Yet even so, the nondiscriminatory nature of hazing means that on some level, what is and is not considered hazing is a judgment call that is made by the soldiers themselves, and this is where many of the problems come into play.
Essentially, the key here is that incidents like the FAMU story demonstrate that hazing is a more widespread concept than many realize, and it is necessary to begin taking legal measures in that direction in order to begin preventing it in earnest.
One of the most effective ways to help prevent hazing is simple: education. According to one source, within the military, the Office of Hazing Prevention has begun to take steps to not just track hazing, but to help eliminate it entirely (Klimas). To do this, the office will grow an incident database, and create new policies, and informing all soldiers of these policies, in order to begin better and more effective practices of reporting and education (Klimas). This same resurgence in awareness is also taking place across colleges as well, as one source reports that a comprehensive approach is the most effective when it comes to preventing many of the most harmful practices of hazing, such as excessive drinking (Allan and
Madden).
Ultimately, hazing, as a crime, is not going anywhere anytime soon. However, due to the increase in awareness, it is likely that it will begin to diminish in severity and frequency as the years go by. Although many of the hazing crimes are longstanding traditions, this does not mean that they can do no harm. In fact, many of these traditions are more likely to be given a free pass by legal authority figures, allowing them to continue unchecked, and this is simply no longer acceptable in the face of how harmful hazing can truly be. Hazing takes violence and casts a more lighthearted pall over it, allowing it to continue under the guise of tradition or fun, but the true nature of hazing has already been revealed, thanks to a number of incidents and studies that tout its harmfulness.