Hazing

Hazing involves humiliation and harm as a way to inculcate new members into a group. Hazing, which we argue is a form of bullying, is all too common in young adulthood and usually occurs on college campuses, but also happens in the military and other organizations such as the Boy Scouts or middle- and high-school sports teams. Sorority, fraternity, military, and athletic team hazing stories include newcomers being beaten with paddles, drinking strange and unidentified substances, being used as a human trash can and having garbage dumped on them, being told to drink alcohol until they pass out, being doused with boiling water, staying awake all night without being allowed to use the bathroom, and being verbally and physically abused (e.g., called stupid, hit, punched). Although it may seem that hazing is distinct from bullying because pledges, freshman, or newcomers to groups, clubs, organizations, or teams “willingly” engage in these activities, hazing is a brutal form of bullying. One of the hallmarks of hazing is intense humiliation, which is also a component of bullying.

Texas state law provides a comprehensive array of forms of hazing:
(A) Any type of physical brutality, such as whipping, beating, striking, branding, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on the body, or similar activity;

(B) any type of physical activity, such as sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, calisthenics, or other activity that subjects the student to an unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of the student;

(C) any activity involving consumption of a food, liquid, alcoholic beverage, liquor, drug, or other substance that subjects the student to an unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of the student;

(D) any activity that intimidates or threatens the student with ostracism, that subjects the student to extreme mental stress, shame, or humiliation, that adversely affects the mental health or dignity of the student or discourages the student from entering or remaining registered in an educational institution, or that may reasonably be expected to cause a student to leave the organization or the institution rather than submit to acts described in this subdivision; and (E) any activity that induces, causes, or requires the student to perform a duty or task that involves a violation of the Penal Code.

It was estimated that 1.5 million high school students are subjected to hazing each year (Hoover & Pollard, 2000). Findings indicated that 43% of students belonging to groups reported being hazed by humiliation (e.g., being yelled, cursed, or sworn at; embarrassing themselves publicly; eating or drinking disgusting things; depriving themselves of food, sleep or cleanliness), 23% were hazed by substance abuse (e.g., drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes or cigars; using illegal drugs), and 22% were hazed in a dangerous way (e.g., stealing, cheating, or committing a crime; beating up others or picking a fight with someone; inflicting self-pain  by branding or satanic rite; being physically abused or beaten).