haz-ing

/haziNG/

noun

humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals, especially as imposed on college students seeking membership to a fraternity or sorority

"seven officers of the fraternity were charged with hazing."

September 18–24 is National Hazing Prevention Week. Although it's important for team bonding in anything you may be involved in, hazing probably isn't the way to go about it. Hazing can be dangerous and humiliating to the people involved. In the past, hazing would be a regular rite of passage for people wanting to join a fraternity or sorority on multiple college campuses. There's many scenes of men being spanked with wide, wooden boards, or of women led into a room with cloths covering their faces being forced to drink alcohol in order to be considered a member. Refusal to complete these acts meant automatic termination from the group, and even more humiliation than the act itself would bring to the person involved.

Nowadays, hazing is prohibited on many high school and college campuses, but the fine line to what is and is not hazing is not always clear. Is it hazing only if people are hurt and/or humiliated during the act, or is it hazing if the veteran members make the new members do something and watch?

Each school or institution defines hazing in a slightly different way, so if you're unsure about something that might get you in trouble, ask a faculty member if it is appropriate. This article dives into what I believe is appropriate bonding activity and what could be considered hazing.

Because I have been a part of multiple teams and groups on campus during my college career, I understand the importance of bonding as a team and getting to know each other. Teams work best when people get along and understand each other, and all teammates can aim for a common goal. Isolating the new members and making them feel smaller and less significant than the veteran members is not a good way to create a safe, comfortable space for the entire group.

Doing so requires care and compassion towards your group or teammates. Hazing does more damage than a lot of people realize. It can lead to serious psychological effect and can also lead to self-esteem issues, mental health issues, and socialization issues. It may be funny to see the "newbies" embarrassed, and your justification might be that you went through it too, but that doesn't make it okay to do it to someone else.

Instead, doing a group activity can bring people together. Group activities could include movie nights, group dinners, group trips, or games that encourage participation, but don't enforce it. The important thing to remember is that everyone in the group should be doing it, meaning veterans should be engaging in the activity along with the new members. Also remember forcing anyone to do anything they aren't comfortable with can be considered hazing as well, because it goes against that person's wishes and needs.

Overall, make sure whatever you're doing with your group is safe and harmless, and complies with your school's hazing policy. Making someone feel embarrassed or humiliated is not a good way to start out a semester. A stronger team with members that communicate and respect each other will benefit the group in the long run.