The Truth About Hazing/Pledging
 “In
the late 1980s, fraternities and
sororities were ranked by the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners as
the sixth worst risk for insurance
companies – just behind hazardous waste
disposal companies and asbestos
contractors.”
 80% of college athletes have been victims
of hazing; (Alfred/NCAA survey of college
athletes) http:cnn.com/US/9908/30/spor
ts.hazing/index.html
 Among
high school students, close to 25
percent of students reported being hazed
when joining a sports team
 82% of deaths from hazing involve
alcohol. Source:National Hazing Prevention
Week’s Fact Sheet
 Since 1970, there has been at least one
hazing-related death on a college campus
each year
The End of a Tradition: Pledging Banned
February 15-18, 1990 Ad hoc Council of Presidents
Attending the Black Greek Summit are (seated): Dr. Eunice Thomas,
Dr. Katie White, Janet J. Ballard, and Dr. Yvonne Kennedy, (standing)
Carter Womack, Dr. Ulysses McBride, And Dr. Moses Norman,
represented the fraternities. Not pictured but in attendance was
Dr. Henry Ponder
 No
pledging or pre-pledging
 Each organization would develop its own
membership intake process which was limited to
ceremonial ritual(s)
 Each organization would develop its own
education process
 Abuse
and violence (hazing) during the pledge
process
 By banning pledging, it was believed hazing
would end
 Greater potential for lawsuits
•
•
•
•
Pledges dressed alike
Pledges walked in straight
lines
Pledges were required
to wear and carry
symbolic items
Pledges were only
allowed limited
communication with
non- fraternity
members
•
•
Pledging occurred over a
period of 4-12 weeks
Pledges were required to
perform chores and run
errands for chapter
members, as well as
perform other duties
 "HAZING."
Any action or situation which
recklessly or intentionally endangers the
mental or physical health or safety of a
student or which willfully destroys or
removes public or private property for the
purpose of initiation or admission into or
affiliation with, or as a condition for
continued membership in, any organization
operating under the sanction of or
recognized as an organization by an
institution of higher education.
 For
purposes of this definition, any activity
as described in this definition upon which the
initiation or admission into or affiliation with
or continued membership in an organization
is directly or indirectly conditioned shall be
presumed to be "forced" activity, the
willingness of an individual to participate in
such activity notwithstanding.

The term shall include, but not be limited to,
any brutality of a physical nature, such as
whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics,
exposure to the elements, forced consumption of
any food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any
other forced physical activity which could
adversely affect the physical health and safety
of the individual, and shall include any activity
which would subject the individual to extreme
mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced
exclusion from social contact, forced conduct
which could result in extreme embarrassment, or
any other forced activity which could adversely
affect the mental health or dignity of the
individual, or any willful destruction or removal
of public or private property.

“Any action taken or situation created, intentionally,
whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce
mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment,
harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include
but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol;
paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue;
physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure
hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such
activities carried on outside or inside of the confines
of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel
which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste;
engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally
degrading or humiliating games and activities; and
any other activities which are not consistent with
fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations and
policies of the educational institution.”
MYTHS
VS
FACTS

Hazing is no more than foolish pranks that
sometimes go awry
 Hazing
is an act of power and control over
others — it is victimization. Hazing is premeditated and NOT accidental
 Hazing is abusive, degrading and often lifethreatening
 As
long as there’s no malicious intent, a little
hazing should be O.K.
 Even
if there’s no malicious “intent” safety
may still be a factor in traditional hazing
activities that are considered to be
“all in good fun.” For example, serious
accidents have occurred during scavenger
hunts and kidnapping trips
 Ask yourself, what purpose do such activities
serve in promoting the growth and
development of the individual being hazed
and chapter members
 Hazing
is an effective way to teach respect
and develop discipline
 Respect
must be EARNED—not taught - victims
of hazing rarely report having respect for those
who have hazed them
 Just like other forms of victimization, hazing
breeds mistrust, apathy and alienation
 If
someone agrees to participate in an activity,
it can’t be considered hazing
 In
states that have laws against hazing consent
of the victim can’t be used as a defense in a
civil suit.
 Agreement to participate in a potentially
hazardous action may not be true consent when
considering the peer pressure and desire to
belong to the group
 It’s
difficult to determine whether or not a
certain activity is hazing
 It’s
not difficult to decide if an activity is
hazing if you use common sense
 Does
the activity comply with all state laws
 Does the activity comply with all school rules
and regulations and/or policies
 Does the activity add to the growth and worth
of the individual, chapter, and the organization
 Is the activity one that you have no problem
discussing with institutional administrators,
faculty, parents, or fraternity officials
 Is
the activity one that the fraternity or
individuals involved would go to court to defend
the merit of the activity
 Will both organizational members and those
seeking membership participate equally in the
activity
 Can the activity be written into a new member
manual and shared with other chapters,
leadership consultants, and national officers of
the fraternity
 Is
alcohol or drugs involved
 Does the activity risk emotional or physical
abuse
 Is there risk of injury or a question of safety
If you answered "NO" to any or these questions,
the activity is “more likely than not HAZING”
 Once
the person is initiated will he continue to
perform in the best interests of the chapter? In
most cases, when the kick in the rear end
stops, so will the work.
 Could lead to an individual voluntarily quitting
intake who might otherwise become one of the
top members of the chapter
 Can
create the attitude that membership
intake is a hardship, not an educational
process and that initiation is the end of one’s
work
 Could result In a lack of participation and/or
interest in the chapter members and/or
organizational endeavors
 Could result in “clicks” within the chapter of
who endured the most severe hazing
 The
candidate is glad to be initiated, not so
much for the honor of the event, but for the
right to be finished with the hazing
 Incorporate
team building exercises and
other projects that will involve the entire
chapter
 Promote academic endeavors
 Encourage newly initiated brothers to offer
suggestions concerning the business and
activities of the chapter
 Try to incorporate the ideas of all Brothers
into the activities of the chapter
 Plan
and participate in social activities
 Adhere to the “Golden Rule”
 Recognize individual talents, differences,
and interests
 Praise individual achievements
 To
come into the Fraternity with sincerity of
purpose, in faith and trust in the principles
of the Fraternity; and that you sincerely
adhere to them
 You exhibit behavior consistent with the
principles of the Fraternity. The Fraternity is
measured by the character of its members
 You have self-control, self-respect, and
personal pride
 Discipline
from the fraternity
 Ruining the reputation of the fraternity
 Suspension and/or revocation of the chapter’s
charter
 The fraternity ceases to exist
 The fraternity loses liability insurance
 Suspension or expulsion from your institution
 Arrest, thus creating a criminal record
 Being sued
 Injury
 Death
Slides: 2,14-32 are from the FIPG Manual
Slide:5, Ivy Leaf, Spring 1990