Many Students Experience Hazing in High School, Study Says
A new survey on student hazing suggests that high schools are not doing enough to combat the problem. The survey, which was conducted by two University of Maine researchers, finds that many college freshmen said they experienced hazing as high school students. According to the results, 47 percent of freshmen said they were hazed in high school, the Associated Press reports. That figure hasn't changed much from 2000, when 48 percent of high schoolers reported being hazed.
Elizabeth Allan and Mary Madden, professors at the University of Maine's College of Education and Human Development, are the authors of the most recent survey. They collected responses from 11,480 freshmen from 53 colleges and universities that participated in a previous survey on college hazing. Not surprisingly, the most incidents of hazing on high school campuses involved sports teams (47 percent). But hazing was also common in ROTC (46 percent) and the performing arts groups (34 percent).
The high school students who reported being hazed said the activities ranged from "silly" stunts to drinking games. In most instances, students said they were required to associate exclusively with members of a group or to sing or chant in public. But at least 19 percent said they were verbally abused, and 8 percent said they drank to the point of getting sick or passing out.
Several recent incidents of high school hazing underscore the severity of the problem. In Santa Fe, N.M., four high school students are facing charges of sodomizing teammates during a football camp. They have pleaded not guilty.
The survey's authors said that high schools should pay more attention to hazing and not focus solely on combating bullying, which they say are two different problems.
Tags: high school | sports | education | hazing
Tools: 
Share
|
| Comments (3) | Print
Reader Comments
The fine line
There is a fine line between martial arts and bullying. Martial arts are traditional and historic. It is to teach the mind and body of self-discipline, not to scare or "beat up" another person.
Hazing is showing dominance and also a very strong weakness. When someone wants to show who is dominant, in charge or power of authority over another shows weakness because they cannot find an effective way to earn respect. Finding hazing in ROTC groups is very understandable because those programs are there to teach young adults to be adults and grow responsibility in rank.
For ranking ROTC groups/cadets, hazing can come from anger and frustration. As a Civil Air Patrol Cadet Officer, I have done a little bit of hazing when I was a Senior NCO because I was frustrated that my group was making the same mistakes repeatedly when in the past they have done it correctly. Hazing a lower Cadet will make him/her afraid of you and will cause confusion and no respect.
You know when hazing has occurred when that victim feels humiliated and embarrassed. It can cause physical and mental pain. Bullying is linked to showing corwardness and weakness, or just being plain stupid. There is no reason to haze in high school. Bullies could have been victims of hazing themselves, come from an abusive home, or just have the need to feel like they have the power. It is natural to want to have the authority or power over others. But hazing is certainly not the way to do it. The only effective results you will get are negative responses and hardships.
Hazing is a sign of weakness that can be stopped and helped professionally. From home, teachers, coaches, military leaders, etc. It is all part of “growing up” if we want to be responsible adults and also leaders.
Hazing and Bullying
Bullies and those who haze others always pick on those least able to stand up or defend themselves. America of today disapproves of the barbaric behavior of fighting in schools (or after school). Students are taught "proper behavior" to not bully or haze others. However, students are not taught to defend themselves or to stand up to bullies. One wonders why some students resort to guns as a way of asserting themselves, which always becomes a tragedy.
What is wrong with martial arts training? Teaching a youngster the art of combat and self discipline? Weapons are bad, fighting is bad, improper language is bad, American has raised a generation of wimps!
My high school experience years ago was of violence by bullies to those students afraid to stand up for themselves. Myself being of peaceable nature was challenged twice in high school and fought once (I won). The other fight was nipped in the bud when my aggressor learned from friends of my karate and judo belts. Preparedness trumps fighting.
Standing up to bullies will not scar a youngster for life, but cowering will.
There is NO hazing
quite like what one has to endure to become a member of many of the street gangs. Does this tell us anything?
advertisement
