MR TWISTER
11-16-2006, 10:00 PM
...that is the question. Hazing has been the hot subject on the AA forum for the past week. The involved team is one of the best in the country and won a couple of Illinois state titles a few years ago. There was an incident where a young man had his head athletically taped by two members of this team. Both of the hazers were juniors, one an All State wrestler and the other a state qualifier. Susposely there was an assistant coach in the area where this all happened. The hazee was not physically harmed. No one can speak on the mental harm but the freshman wrestler himself. Eventually talk of the incident got around and at a football game word got to the principal. The principal talked to all involved and coaches were reprimanded and punishments were given out.
By now I am sure you are wondering how I know all of this. After talking to some members of the team and some parents as well I feel I have a good idea what went on. And for the record none of the wrestlers/parents I talked to were from the Harvey Twisters. The parents I talked to asked me to not reveal their names but trust me on this - it happened as I said and they all want to put it behind so the kids can move on.
This is the second incident in the last two years in our state. At least it is the second one that has come into the public light. There may be more according to the forum regulars. The previous incident was deemed more serious than this one. But I ask these questions for all to ponder. What is too serious? What if a hazing incident goes too far and someone is seriously injured or even killed? Just think about that for a moment. Would you like to be the family member that had to get the call from a school official?
There was much discussion on the history, wrongs and rights of hazing. Everyone weighed in on the subject. I even admitted hazing and being hazed. I however will not try to convince anyone that this is an acceptable rite of passage. As usual I just want to be a devils advocate for the wrestler. I could care less about anything or anyone else.
I will however make one suggestion for the future. Since everyone seems to agree that hazing goes on no matter what, I want to suggest that the coach and team control the situation. There are lot's of ways of having an organized acceptance without creating harm. I believe that a coach can institute a program that everyone can participate in and the hazee can feel comfortable. An example could be as I did with my football teams in the early 90's, mandatory night time practices run by the upperclassmen. We normaly practiced after school. But once a year I had a practice run by the upperclassmen that started at 4 a.m. in the dark on a very cold day. If you were late, you were off the team. The parents knew about it and we never in 5 years had a kid be late or get hurt. Parents were dropping kids off and the upperclassmen loved the idea that they got to run a practice over the new kids. Because I was there no one was ever harmed. The key was that this was our established rite of passage. There was no secret society. And it was supervised. It was a created tradition.
When I spoke with one of the parents concerning this latest incident they gave me a very interesting website to look at.
http://www.insidehazing.com/index.php
I have copied certain excerpts from this well written site. There was so much information that I felt needed to passed on that it may seem long but please read it anyway.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WHAT IS HAZING?
Hazing is a process, based on a tradition that is used by groups to maintain a hierarchy (i.e., a pecking order) within the group. Regardless of consent, the rituals require individuals to engage in activities that are physically and psychologically stressful.
These activities can be humiliating, demeaning, intimidating, and exhausting, all of which results in physical and/or emotional discomfort. Hazing is about group dynamics and proving one's worthiness to become a member of the specific group.
WHAT IS HAZARDOUS HAZING?
Hazardous hazing occurs when the traditions or initiation rites skid out of control and cause significant and lasting physical and/or psychological damage. When hazardous hazing occurs everyone in the group, including the perpetrators, (those who planned and carried out the actions) bystanders (those who watched and did not actively participate) and victims, (those who were receiving the hazing) may be psychologically traumatized.
WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullying is an intentional act of aggression that is meant to harm a victim either physically or psychologically. Bullies usually operate alone or in small groups and choose to victimize individuals who they perceive as vulnerable. Victims attract bullies by their small stature, their younger age, or lower social status. Frequently there is only one specific victim who is often a scapegoat.
WHAT IS THE BLUEPRINT OF HAZING?
The blueprint of hazing states that the newcomer, or victim, is hazed. Once accepted by the group, the victim becomes a bystander, and watches as others get hazed. Eventually, the bystander achieves senior status and power, and becomes a perpetrator.
They do onto others what was done to them, and they feel as though they have the right and duty to pass on the tradtion. High school students pack up this blueprint and stuff it into their backpack, in order to take their hazing experience with them to college, the military and the workplace. Each hazing brings with it the possibility of a new twist. Perpetrators want to leave their mark on the tradition, and therefore they may add or change the tradition, slightly.
The Characters
Perpetrators: The people who have power and control and use it to cause discomfort, physically or psychologically. They are directly involved and are held responsible for the consequences of a hazing.
Bystanders: Those who are observing but not actively participating in the actions taken by the perpetrators. Bystanders, as a group, have the power to increase or decrease the degree of aggression perpetrated against victims. Bystanders are effected by and responsible for hazings.
Victims: Those with least status who are receiving the hazing, or who are the targets as defined by the particular traditions.
Supervisors: Those who are supposed to be supervising the activities of the group. These people have been given responsibility by an authority to be "in charge."
Administration: The higher authority that is responsible for choosing the supervisors and for allowing the group to exist. These people are typically considered legally responsible even if they knew nothing about the event.
Community: The larger group, such as a town, in which the hazing has occurred. The community also has a responsibility to demand appropriate controls from the administration.
WHERE DOES HAZING HAPPEN?
Hazing may occur anywhere. Often it is in locker rooms, on sports fields, on a school bus, or in any area that is large enough to accommodate the group. Frequently the location is part of the tradition, and it re-occurs at the same place. Hazing may occur on or off campus. Usually the participants perceive a lack of adult supervision. They do not believe that outsiders or authorities will intervene to stop the activities.
The Timing
Hazing occurs throughout the year. Each season begins another sport, and with it the traditional rites of passage which may include hazing. This is true for both men's and women's teams. Often the beginning of the school year, late August and early September, mark hazings that occur against freshmen in high school and college.
PERSONALITY AND STYLE OF THE ADULT LEADER
The adult leader of a group of adolescents has many responsibilities, some which they may not even be aware of. The leader has his own individual personality and psychological state, and his own style of leading. In addition, he often plays a role of "father figure" (or mother figure.) These three levels of influence are relevant to the character and well being of the group of adolescents. For the purposes of this explanation, I will refer to the adult leader as "coach." Even, if the group being lead is not of an athletic nature, the concept of coach often holds true.
The individual personality of the coach is varied, though one may assume that they enjoy competition, working with teams, and are often trained as teachers. Their own needs to succeed, as well as their previous experiences as an athlete or member of a team, most definitely influence their personality and expectations of themselves and others. In addition, their current stage in life, as well as previous experiences, including their own childhood, may influence their personality. Perhaps what is most important in assessing the personality of a coach is their ability to handle their own emotions in an appropriate manner. The coach's personality and emotional states definitely influence the team.
WARNING SIGNS: Hazing may skid into the hazardous zone when:
The leaders of the group are very aggressive, and intimidating.
You have heard rumors from your peers about activities that are hazardous.
Your gut is churning and you sense danger.
You have been warned by authorities that the group has a reputation for being extreme.
You don't want to acknowledge it, but you have witnessed some events which are dangerous or are inconsistent with your own morals and values.
You feel stuck. You are already involved and do not know how to get out of the group or process. RESPONSIBILITY: There are many kinds of responsibilities, some legal, some ethical. Each state and each school has different laws and policies and therefore it is impossible to predict who may be held responsible. In general, you are responsible for yourself.
Your presence or absence may count towards responsibility. For example, even though you did not actively hurt someone, you also made no attempt to stop it, get help or report it.
You may be held responsible for your lack of actions. Obviously if you participated in some hazardous behavior you may be held responsible. In the end, many people get away with a lot, but some get into deep trouble.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday signed into law a stiffer penalty for college hazing.
The bill increases the severity of charges for some hazing rituals, upgrading them from misdemeanors to felonies. It also for the first time gives prosecutors the ability to seek hazing charges against non-students.
Pleasant Hill resident Debbie Smith lobbied for the bill after her 21-year-old son - Chico State student Matthew Carrington - died last year when fraternity members forced him to drink gallons of water and do calisthenics in frigid air during an initiation. The new statute is known officially as "Matt's Law" in his memory.
The law also allows hazing victims or their families to sue organizations that sanction the rituals. Previously, suits were permitted against individual members.
"Parents should not have to worry about their children suffering ridicule or injury while they are away at college," Schwarzenegger said in a written statement. "Harsher penalties for hazing will protect students and help deter the senseless acts that have led to far too many injuries and deaths on our campuses."
High School and College Hazing
1.5 million high school students are hazed each year.
91% of all H.S. students belong to at least one group, and half of them, 48% report being subjected to hazing activities.
43% were subjected to humiliating activities and 30% performed potentially illegal acts as part of their initiation.
Both male and female students report high levels of hazing.
Every kind of high school group was involved in hazing including 24% of the students involved in church groups.
10% of all college students admit to being hazed in high school.
79% of the NCAA Athletes report being hazed initially in high school.
25% were first hazed before the age of 13.
92% of the high school students will not report a hazing, and of these respondents, 59% know of hazing activities and 21% admit to being involved in hazing.
48% of the students acknowledge participating in activities which are defined as hazing, 29% did potentially illegal things to join a group, however only 14% admit to being hazed. This underscored the "disconnect" between how adults define hazing vs. how students define it.
More than 250,000 students experienced some sort of hazing to join a college athletic team.
5% of all college students admit to being hazed.
40% admit to knowing about hazing activities.
40% report that a coach or club advisor was aware of the hazing.
22% report that the coach or advisor was involved in the hazing.Trends of Hazing
60% agree that it is important to tolerate psychological stress and 32% believe it is important to tolerate physical pain.
67% agree that a significant part of initiation is humiliation.
46% believe that the most important thing is to keep the code of silence.
29% of Greek leaders are concerned with the overuse of alcohol during pledge activities.
36% say they would not report a hazing primarily because "there's no one to tell" and 27% feel that "adults won't handle it right."
Students are more likely to be hazed if they knew an adult who was hazed.
By now I am sure you are wondering how I know all of this. After talking to some members of the team and some parents as well I feel I have a good idea what went on. And for the record none of the wrestlers/parents I talked to were from the Harvey Twisters. The parents I talked to asked me to not reveal their names but trust me on this - it happened as I said and they all want to put it behind so the kids can move on.
This is the second incident in the last two years in our state. At least it is the second one that has come into the public light. There may be more according to the forum regulars. The previous incident was deemed more serious than this one. But I ask these questions for all to ponder. What is too serious? What if a hazing incident goes too far and someone is seriously injured or even killed? Just think about that for a moment. Would you like to be the family member that had to get the call from a school official?
There was much discussion on the history, wrongs and rights of hazing. Everyone weighed in on the subject. I even admitted hazing and being hazed. I however will not try to convince anyone that this is an acceptable rite of passage. As usual I just want to be a devils advocate for the wrestler. I could care less about anything or anyone else.
I will however make one suggestion for the future. Since everyone seems to agree that hazing goes on no matter what, I want to suggest that the coach and team control the situation. There are lot's of ways of having an organized acceptance without creating harm. I believe that a coach can institute a program that everyone can participate in and the hazee can feel comfortable. An example could be as I did with my football teams in the early 90's, mandatory night time practices run by the upperclassmen. We normaly practiced after school. But once a year I had a practice run by the upperclassmen that started at 4 a.m. in the dark on a very cold day. If you were late, you were off the team. The parents knew about it and we never in 5 years had a kid be late or get hurt. Parents were dropping kids off and the upperclassmen loved the idea that they got to run a practice over the new kids. Because I was there no one was ever harmed. The key was that this was our established rite of passage. There was no secret society. And it was supervised. It was a created tradition.
When I spoke with one of the parents concerning this latest incident they gave me a very interesting website to look at.
http://www.insidehazing.com/index.php
I have copied certain excerpts from this well written site. There was so much information that I felt needed to passed on that it may seem long but please read it anyway.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WHAT IS HAZING?
Hazing is a process, based on a tradition that is used by groups to maintain a hierarchy (i.e., a pecking order) within the group. Regardless of consent, the rituals require individuals to engage in activities that are physically and psychologically stressful.
These activities can be humiliating, demeaning, intimidating, and exhausting, all of which results in physical and/or emotional discomfort. Hazing is about group dynamics and proving one's worthiness to become a member of the specific group.
WHAT IS HAZARDOUS HAZING?
Hazardous hazing occurs when the traditions or initiation rites skid out of control and cause significant and lasting physical and/or psychological damage. When hazardous hazing occurs everyone in the group, including the perpetrators, (those who planned and carried out the actions) bystanders (those who watched and did not actively participate) and victims, (those who were receiving the hazing) may be psychologically traumatized.
WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullying is an intentional act of aggression that is meant to harm a victim either physically or psychologically. Bullies usually operate alone or in small groups and choose to victimize individuals who they perceive as vulnerable. Victims attract bullies by their small stature, their younger age, or lower social status. Frequently there is only one specific victim who is often a scapegoat.
WHAT IS THE BLUEPRINT OF HAZING?
The blueprint of hazing states that the newcomer, or victim, is hazed. Once accepted by the group, the victim becomes a bystander, and watches as others get hazed. Eventually, the bystander achieves senior status and power, and becomes a perpetrator.
They do onto others what was done to them, and they feel as though they have the right and duty to pass on the tradtion. High school students pack up this blueprint and stuff it into their backpack, in order to take their hazing experience with them to college, the military and the workplace. Each hazing brings with it the possibility of a new twist. Perpetrators want to leave their mark on the tradition, and therefore they may add or change the tradition, slightly.
The Characters
Perpetrators: The people who have power and control and use it to cause discomfort, physically or psychologically. They are directly involved and are held responsible for the consequences of a hazing.
Bystanders: Those who are observing but not actively participating in the actions taken by the perpetrators. Bystanders, as a group, have the power to increase or decrease the degree of aggression perpetrated against victims. Bystanders are effected by and responsible for hazings.
Victims: Those with least status who are receiving the hazing, or who are the targets as defined by the particular traditions.
Supervisors: Those who are supposed to be supervising the activities of the group. These people have been given responsibility by an authority to be "in charge."
Administration: The higher authority that is responsible for choosing the supervisors and for allowing the group to exist. These people are typically considered legally responsible even if they knew nothing about the event.
Community: The larger group, such as a town, in which the hazing has occurred. The community also has a responsibility to demand appropriate controls from the administration.
WHERE DOES HAZING HAPPEN?
Hazing may occur anywhere. Often it is in locker rooms, on sports fields, on a school bus, or in any area that is large enough to accommodate the group. Frequently the location is part of the tradition, and it re-occurs at the same place. Hazing may occur on or off campus. Usually the participants perceive a lack of adult supervision. They do not believe that outsiders or authorities will intervene to stop the activities.
The Timing
Hazing occurs throughout the year. Each season begins another sport, and with it the traditional rites of passage which may include hazing. This is true for both men's and women's teams. Often the beginning of the school year, late August and early September, mark hazings that occur against freshmen in high school and college.
PERSONALITY AND STYLE OF THE ADULT LEADER
The adult leader of a group of adolescents has many responsibilities, some which they may not even be aware of. The leader has his own individual personality and psychological state, and his own style of leading. In addition, he often plays a role of "father figure" (or mother figure.) These three levels of influence are relevant to the character and well being of the group of adolescents. For the purposes of this explanation, I will refer to the adult leader as "coach." Even, if the group being lead is not of an athletic nature, the concept of coach often holds true.
The individual personality of the coach is varied, though one may assume that they enjoy competition, working with teams, and are often trained as teachers. Their own needs to succeed, as well as their previous experiences as an athlete or member of a team, most definitely influence their personality and expectations of themselves and others. In addition, their current stage in life, as well as previous experiences, including their own childhood, may influence their personality. Perhaps what is most important in assessing the personality of a coach is their ability to handle their own emotions in an appropriate manner. The coach's personality and emotional states definitely influence the team.
WARNING SIGNS: Hazing may skid into the hazardous zone when:
The leaders of the group are very aggressive, and intimidating.
You have heard rumors from your peers about activities that are hazardous.
Your gut is churning and you sense danger.
You have been warned by authorities that the group has a reputation for being extreme.
You don't want to acknowledge it, but you have witnessed some events which are dangerous or are inconsistent with your own morals and values.
You feel stuck. You are already involved and do not know how to get out of the group or process. RESPONSIBILITY: There are many kinds of responsibilities, some legal, some ethical. Each state and each school has different laws and policies and therefore it is impossible to predict who may be held responsible. In general, you are responsible for yourself.
Your presence or absence may count towards responsibility. For example, even though you did not actively hurt someone, you also made no attempt to stop it, get help or report it.
You may be held responsible for your lack of actions. Obviously if you participated in some hazardous behavior you may be held responsible. In the end, many people get away with a lot, but some get into deep trouble.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday signed into law a stiffer penalty for college hazing.
The bill increases the severity of charges for some hazing rituals, upgrading them from misdemeanors to felonies. It also for the first time gives prosecutors the ability to seek hazing charges against non-students.
Pleasant Hill resident Debbie Smith lobbied for the bill after her 21-year-old son - Chico State student Matthew Carrington - died last year when fraternity members forced him to drink gallons of water and do calisthenics in frigid air during an initiation. The new statute is known officially as "Matt's Law" in his memory.
The law also allows hazing victims or their families to sue organizations that sanction the rituals. Previously, suits were permitted against individual members.
"Parents should not have to worry about their children suffering ridicule or injury while they are away at college," Schwarzenegger said in a written statement. "Harsher penalties for hazing will protect students and help deter the senseless acts that have led to far too many injuries and deaths on our campuses."
High School and College Hazing
1.5 million high school students are hazed each year.
91% of all H.S. students belong to at least one group, and half of them, 48% report being subjected to hazing activities.
43% were subjected to humiliating activities and 30% performed potentially illegal acts as part of their initiation.
Both male and female students report high levels of hazing.
Every kind of high school group was involved in hazing including 24% of the students involved in church groups.
10% of all college students admit to being hazed in high school.
79% of the NCAA Athletes report being hazed initially in high school.
25% were first hazed before the age of 13.
92% of the high school students will not report a hazing, and of these respondents, 59% know of hazing activities and 21% admit to being involved in hazing.
48% of the students acknowledge participating in activities which are defined as hazing, 29% did potentially illegal things to join a group, however only 14% admit to being hazed. This underscored the "disconnect" between how adults define hazing vs. how students define it.
More than 250,000 students experienced some sort of hazing to join a college athletic team.
5% of all college students admit to being hazed.
40% admit to knowing about hazing activities.
40% report that a coach or club advisor was aware of the hazing.
22% report that the coach or advisor was involved in the hazing.Trends of Hazing
60% agree that it is important to tolerate psychological stress and 32% believe it is important to tolerate physical pain.
67% agree that a significant part of initiation is humiliation.
46% believe that the most important thing is to keep the code of silence.
29% of Greek leaders are concerned with the overuse of alcohol during pledge activities.
36% say they would not report a hazing primarily because "there's no one to tell" and 27% feel that "adults won't handle it right."
Students are more likely to be hazed if they knew an adult who was hazed.