Information AboutHazing |
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Hazing is an often ritualistic test and a task, which may constitute harassment, abuse or humiliation with requirements to perform random, often meaningless tasks, sometimes as a way of initiation into a social group. The definition can refer to either physical (sometimes violent) or mental (possibly degrading) practices. The word is most frequently encountered in the '' in French, ''ontgroening'' 'de-green {Link without Title} ing' in Dutch) or a combination of both, such as in the Finnish ''mopokaste'' (literally "motorbicycle baptism", "motorbicycle" being the nickname for freshmen, stemming from the concept that they would be barred from riding a full motorcycle by their age). In Australia the term is bastardisation."bastardization." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. Retrieved 07 Aug. 2007. from Dictionary.com: bastardization . Often most or all of the endurance, or at least the more serious ordeal, is concentrated in an orgiastic session, which may be called '' Hell night'', or prolonged to a ''hell week'' and/or retreat or camp, sometimes again at the pledge's birthday (e.g. by Birthday Spanking ), but some traditions keep terrorizing ''pledge''s (a common term for the initiation candidates; alternative terms include Newbie , Rookie , mainly in athletic teams and Freshman ) over a long period, resembling Fagging . Hazing is often used as a method to promote group loyalty and camaraderie through shared suffering ( Male Bonding in fraternities), either with fellow participants, past participants or both. A tentative explanation from Evolutionary Psychology is that grave hazing can activate the Capture-bonding psychological trait also known as Stockholm Syndrome . HISTORY
SCOPE Hazing has been reported in a variety of social contexts, including:
It is a subjective matter where to draw to line between "normal" hazing (somewhat abusive) and a mere Rite Of Passage (essentially bonding; proponents may argue they can coincide), and there is a gray area where exactly the other side passes over into sheer degrading, even harmful abuse that should not be tolerated even if accepted voluntarily (serious but avoidable accidents do still happen; deliberate abuse with similar grave medical consequences occurs, in some traditions rather often). Furthermore, as it must be a ritual ''initiation'', a different social context may mean a same treatment is technically hazing for some, not for others, e.g., a Line-crossing Ceremony when passing the equator at sea is hazing for the sailor while the extended (generally voluntary, more playful) application to passengers is not. CONTROVERSY that received wide publicity for the gravity of the hazing practices that were carried out.]] The practice of ritual abuse among social groups is poorly understood. This is partly due to the secretive nature of the activities, especially within collegiate fraternities and sororities, and in part a result of long-term acceptance of hazing. Thus, it has been difficult for researchers to agree on the underlying social and psychological mechanisms that perpetuate hazing. In military circles hazing is sometimes assumed to test recruits under situations of stress and hostility. Although in no way a recreation of combat, hazing does put people into stressful situations that they are unable to control, which allegedly should weed out those weaker members prior to being put in situations where failure to perform will cost lives. A portion of the training course known as SERE (Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape) simulates as closely as is feasible the physical and psychological conditions of a POW camp. Part of the purpose of SERE training is to train and test soldiers on their ability to resist methods of interrogation. The problem with this approach, according to opponents, is that the stress and hostility comes from ''inside'' the group, from the assumed "good guys", and not from ''outside'' as in actual combat situation, creating suspicion and distrust towards the superiors and comrades-in-arms. A possible argument against the Stockholm Syndrome theory is that in order to be willing participants recruits may be motivated by a desire to prove to senior soldiers their stability in future combat situations, making the unit more secure. Blatantly brutal hazing can in fact produce negative results, making the units more prone to break, desert or mutiny than those without hazing traditions, as observed in the Russian army in Chechnya , where units with the strongest traditions of Dedovschina were the first to break and desert under enemy fire. At worst, hazing may lead into Fragging incidents. Outside of the criminal context, a form of the syndrome may take place in military basic training, in which "training is a mildly traumatic experience intended to produce a bond," with the goal of forming military units which will remain loyal to each other even in life-threatening situations. It would be more difficult to make such a case in favour of hazing ceremonies in academic bodies and social clubs, where the origin is imitating educational (parental and school) discipline in substitute households and internal teaching. In a 1999 study, a survey of 3,293 collegiate athletes, coaches, athletic directors and deans found a variety of approaches to prevent hazing, including strong disciplinary and corrective measures for known cases, implementation of athletic, behavioral, and academic standards guiding recruitment; provisions for alternative bonding and recognition events for teams to prevent hazing; and law enforcement involvement in monitoring, investigating, and prosecuting hazing incidents.Dr. Nadine C. Hoover, Alfred University, 1999. Hoover's research suggested half of all college athletes are involved in alcohol-related hazing incidents, while one in five are involved in potentially illegal hazing incidents. Only another one in five was involved in what Hoover described as positive initiation events, such as taking team trips or running obstacle courses. "Athletes most at risk for any kind of hazing for college sports were men; non-Greek members; and either swimmers, divers, soccer players, or lacrosse players. The campuses where hazing was most likely to occur were primarily in eastern or southern states with no anti-hazing laws. The campuses were rural, residential, and had Greek systems," Hoover wrote. Hoover uses the term "Greek" to refer to U.S.-style Fraternities And Sororities . Non-fraternity members were most at risk of hazing, Hoover reported. Football players are most at risk of potentially dangerous or illegal hazing, the study found. In the May issue of the American Journal Of Emergency Medicine , Michelle Finkel, MD , reported that hazing injuries are often not recognized for their true cause in emergency medical centers. The doctor said hazing victims sometimes hide the real cause of injuries out of shame or to protect those who caused the harm. In protecting their abusers, hazing victims can be compared with victims of domestic violence, Finkel wrote. Finkel cites hazing incidents including " Beating or Kicking to the point of Trauma tic Injury or Death , Burning or Branding , excessive Calisthenics , being forced to eat unpleasant substances, and psychological or sexual abuse of both males and females". Reported coerced sexual activity is sometimes considered "horseplay" rather than rape, she wrote. Finkel quoted from Hank Nuwer's book Wrongs of Passage which counted 56 hazing deaths between 1970 and 1999 . The updated list of hazing deaths in colleges is at http://hazing.hanknuwer.com/listoflists.html Even in the modern western military, which combines discipline with welfare priorities, initiation practices can cause controversy. Although not a part of the training programme of the British Royal Marines , there is a tradition (in many military - especially elite - corps) of subjecting the newly trained ranks to a hell night-type "joining run", a macho preparation of men in the prime of their lives for the ordeals of warfare, going beyond what most civilians (and even many service personnel) would find acceptable; it usually combines humiliation (such as nudity) with physical endurance. In November 2005, there was an internationally publicised incident when a video of an extreme case of such a joining run, made secretly in May 2005, was released to the printed and broadcasting media. It showed newly trained marines, one group naked with others watching, fighting each other with mats wrapped around their arms, and one being kicked in the face after refusing to remove the padding and fight barefisted. "When one falls, a man in a fancy dress surgeon's outfit - allegedly an NCO - kicks him in the face, leaving him unconscious", according to the Telegraph. The victim, according to the BBC , said "It's just marine humour". The marine who leaked the video said "The guy laid out was inches from being dead". Under further investigation, the marines had just returned from a six month tour of Iraq, and were in their 'cooling down' period, in which they spend two weeks at a naval base before they are allowed back into society. The man who suffered the kick to the head did not press charges. Crime In the U.S. hazing has resulted in several deaths and serious injuries. Matthew Carrington was killed at California 's Chico State University on February 2 , 2005 . As a direct result a number of colleges and parents, as well as sorority and fraternity members are taking steps to bring an end to criminal hazing practices. Hazing is considered a felony in several U.S. states, and anti-hazing legislation has been proposed in other states. SB 1454, or Matt’s Law, was developed in Carrington’s memory, and is one bill up for legislation to eliminate hazing in California. There is anti-hazing legislation in several countries, e.g. in France (the French term is ''bizutage'') imposing a punishment up to six months in prison or 7,500 Euro . In the Philippines , hazing accompanied by any forms of temporary or permanent physical injuries (from light injuries to injuries resulting to death), sexual abuse (in any form) or any acts that lead to mental incapacity are punishable by law. Penalties vary depending on how serious the offense is. {Link without Title} The Philippine Anti-Hazing Law. From the Virtual Library of the Chan Robles Law Office (a law firm based in the Philippines) In Indonesia , 35 people died since 1993 as a result of hazing initiation rites in the Institute of Public Service (IPDN). The latest is in April 2007 when Cliff Muntu died after being beaten by the seniors.[http://www.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2007/bulan/04/tgl/09/time/101747/idnews/764475/idkanal/10 Inu Kencana, Whistleblower from IPDN] The video of the hazing initiation rites can be viewed on Youtube . In India, ragging has been banned for last few years. Recently in a historical judgement, the Honbl. Supreme Court of India has directed to lodge criminal cases against those who would rag. The states have been ordered to deal with ragging ( hazing ) strictly. METHODS Before the Great Depression, U.S. hazing achieved an art form status amongst benevolent fraternities such as the . In many cases nowadays, the hardest abuse is usually only enacted for a photograph (sometimes even posted on the Internet) or video. Reported hazing activities can involve all kinds of ridicule and humiliation within the group or in public — many of which could easily be considered abusive if a candidate were not a consenting adult — while others are quite innocent, akin to pranks. Examples of hazing, often performed in combination, include:
as fraternity initiation]]
Of course in certain circles there are also more specific practices, using ingredients particularly pertinent to their activities. For example, in various trades hazing for apprentices when finishing their , a color made from mixing black printers ink and dark blue printers ink which takes a long time to wash off; similarly, mechanics get them smeared with old dirty grease. REFERENCES IN POPULAR CULTURE Movies where hazing plays an important part in the plot and/or constitutes a forceful scene include '' If... '' (1968), '' Animal House '' (1978), '' Full Metal Jacket '' (1987), ''Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama'' (1988, female pledges paddled during initiation ritual), '' Dazed And Confused '' (1993; high school Freshmen are put through many rituals, including fake "air raids", being covered in food, spanked with a paddle, and forced to lie in a trucks bed while it goes through the car wash), '' A Few Good Men '' (1992), '' The Lords Of Discipline '' (1983), '' The Skulls '' (2000), '' Old School '' (2003), '' Jarhead '' (2005), '' The Good Shepherd '' (2006). In Followers (2000), three friends want to pledge, but only the white ones are accepted, and must target their refused black friend. In Frat Brothers Of The KVL (2007), a lacrosse team's excessively dangerous hazing gone out of control with fatal results is the main theme. Some TV series:
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