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Hazing Prevention Strategies

By Richard Sigal for GuidanceChannel.com

Once believed the province of college fraternity men, hazing now has reared its ugly head in other venues: high schools and middle schools. That's not to say it never before existed in public schools, but increased publicity about hazing at all levels has brought it to the surface. How much hazing is going on? Hazing experts have gut feelings, but in truth, it's impossible to accurately compile data on a secret, underground activity.

Hazing ranges from innocuous stuff like being forced to wear silly clothes, through serious physical and sexual assault, to death. Since 1970, one college student has died every year from hazing. For the purpose of this article I will offer the following definition of hazing:

Hazing is an act that as an explicit or implicit condition for initiation to, admission into, affiliation with, or continued membership in a group or organization, could be seen by a reasonable person as endangering the physical health of an individual or causing mental distress to an individual through, for example, humiliating, intimidating, or demeaning treatment; destroying or removing personal or private property; involving the consumption of alcohol, other drugs, or other substances; or violating any of the policies of the particular educational institution.
(Adapted from the Cornell University Task Force on Hazing.)

At Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois, a "powderpuff" football game turned violent. Senior girls and a few boys were videotaped abusing junior girls by kicking and beating them, and showering the victims with offensive filth including feces and fish guts. More recently, while at a Pennsylvania football camp, some Mepham High School (in the Bellmore-Merrick school district on Long Island) varsity football players sodomized younger players with a broomstick, pine cones and golf balls. In light of these and other horrific hazing incidents, school districts across the country are scrambling to address the hazing issue in an attempt to prevent and/or eliminate this harmful behavior.

Preventing hazing requires an understanding of its structure and its roots. There are both psychological and sociological dynamics involved. Underlying hazing activities are the psychological needs of the hazers and of their victims. Those who haze have themselves been hazed. They need to dominate, control and wield power over submissive, usually younger, powerless victims. They need to repay what they received. For the victims, there are needs to prove oneself, be accepted by, and identify with, the members of the group into which they desire to gain admission.

Several sociological issues lay the foundation for hazing: institutional power structure, history, tradition, education, community values, machismo and peer pressure -- to name a few.

The prevention of hazing begins at the top of the school district hierarchy. It is the duty of the controlling authority, usually the Board of Education, to develop a clear and comprehensive, zero-tolerance policy that bans any and all hazing activities. In no uncertain terms they must let those below understand that there will be no hazing in this district or the consequences will be severe. Down through the chain of command, the same message must be administered. Particularly, athletic directors and coaches must have a clear understanding of what hazing entails, its definition and its potential consequences for students and for the district. When coaches look the other way and/or accept or facilitate hazing, it is sure to continue.

Hazing exists because of a tradition of hazing in the district or at least in the particular team or organization. The practice continues year after year because those who have been hazed want to pass along what was done to them. There is a tendency for hazing to escalate. Some students want not only to do, but outdo what they experienced. Those in control have to break that cycle. Coaches must explain the history of the tradition to his/her players, and then clearly state that it is finished

.

Districts must create and implement anti-hazing programs for students, coaches, administrators and organization advisors -- and don’t forget the parents. Community support is crucial. In districts where hazing incidents have occurred, some parents have circled the wagons, called their lawyers, stonewalled investigators, and in some places even threatened the victims' parents when they spoke out.

School districts should assign administrators to investigate hazing allegations, and publicize phone numbers students can utilize to reach these people to report incidents of hazing anonymously without fear of repercussions.

Commonly ingrained in hazing activities are macho themes. Initiates are often asked to prove themselves in masculine ways. Peer pressure forces them to accept abuse, prove they are "men" (girls, too), and then to shut up about it. Whistle-blower victims are often condemned by fellow students, and in some cases, end up in therapy finishing their high school careers elsewhere. Strategies should be put in place to support and protect students who have the strength to overcome the peer pressure and report hazing.

To thwart hazing in organizations where students hold varying degrees of seniority and power, instead of making rookies responsible for drudge work while older members watch or berate them, all tasks should be allocated equally, regardless of seniority. Coaches or advisors also should establish mentoring programs. It is doubtful that younger members will respect or want to bond with someone who demeans them, more than with an older member or player who takes them under their wing, cares for them, and teaches them the ropes.

Therefore, to establish anti-hazing prevention programs, school districts need to:

• create a firm policy at the Board of Education level
• examine the district's history of hazing traditions
• establish and regularly administer anti-hazing educational programs
• assign a teacher or administrator to investigate hazing allegations, or signs of hazing
• publish a phone number to contact this person anonymously
• create support strategies for students who report hazing
• develop mentoring programs in clubs and teams, and allocate all tasks equally

Hazing is a serious concern. Students are suffering from physical and emotional abuse; school districts are finding themselves in court; coaches and administrators are losing their jobs. And for what?

Cyberbullying: Challenges and Solutions

By Nancy Willard for The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use

• Middle school students created a website denigrating Raymond. They posted stories, jokes, and cartoons ridiculing his size and questioning his sexuality.
• Tyler reported to the principal that students were bullying another student. When Tyler got home, he had 35 angry messages in his email box. The anonymous cruel messages kept coming -- some from total strangers.

• Sitting around the computer with her friends, Judy asked, “Who can we mess with?” Judy started IM-ing with Sara, asking her many personal questions. The next day, the girls were passing around Sara’s IM at school.

• Brad’s blog is filled with racist profanity. Frequently, he targets black and Latino student leaders, as well as minority teachers, in his angry verbal assaults.

• Greg, an obese high school student, was changing in the locker room after gym class. Matt took a covert picture of him with his cell phone camera. Within seconds, the picture was flying around the cell phones at school.
• Sue was really angry at Kelsey, who she thought stole her boyfriend. Sue convinced Marilyn to post anonymous comments on a discussion board slamming Kelsey. Marilyn was eager to win Sue’s approval and fit into her group of friends, so she did as Sue requested.
• A group of girls at his school had been taunting Alan through instant messaging, teasing him about his small size, daring him to do things he couldn’t do, suggesting the world would be a better place if he committed suicide. One day, he shot himself. His last online message was, “Sometimes the only way to get the respect you deserve is to die.”

Young people have clearly embraced the Internet as a tool for socializing. Unfortunately, there are increasing reports of teens, and sometimes younger children, using the Internet to engage in cyberbullying -- being cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material or engaging in other forms of social cruelty.

Cyberbullying can take different forms, including:

• Flaming -- online “fights” using electronic messages with angry and vulgar language;
• Harassment -- repeatedly sending offensive, rude, and/or insulting messages;
• Denigration -- sending or posting cruel gossip or rumors about a person to damage his or her reputation or friendships;
• Impersonation -- breaking into someone’s account, posing as that person and sending messages to make the person look bad, get that person in trouble or danger, or damage that person’s reputation or friendships;
• Outing and trickery -- sharing someone’s secrets or embarrassing information or images online and/or tricking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing information, which is then shared online;
• Exclusion -- intentionally excluding someone from an online group, like a buddy list;
• Cyberstalking -- repeatedly sending messages that include threats of harm or are highly intimidating: and
• Engaging in other online activities that make a person afraid for her or her safety.

It is widely known that face-to-face bullying can result in long-term psychological harm to targets. This harm includes low self-esteem, depression, anger, school failure, school avoidance, and, in some cases, school violence or suicide. It is possible that the harm caused by cyberbullying may be even greater. Online communications can be extremely vicious. There is no escape for those who are being cyberbullied -- victimization is ongoing, 24/7. Cyberbullying material can be distributed worldwide and is often irretrievable. Cyberbullies can be anonymous and can solicit the involvement of unknown “friends.”

Cyberbullying may be related to in-school bullying. Sometimes, the student who is victimized at school is also being bullied online. But other times, the person who is victimized at school becomes a cyberbully and retaliates online. Other times, the student who is victimized will share his or her anger or depression online as distressing material.

Frequently, cyberbullying appears to be occurring between members of the “in-crowd” and “wannabes.” Cyberbullying may involve relationships, including angry breakups or fights about relationships. It may also be based on hate or bias -- bullying others because of race, religion, obesity, or sexual orientation. Unfortunately, it also appears that many teens simply think that cyberbullying is entertaining.

Cyberbullying generally is occurring off-campus, although students may be able to engage in cyberbullying through the district Internet system or by using cell phones at school. It is more difficult for schools to respond with formal discipline if the cyberbullying is occurring off-campus due to free-speech protections. Any time there is a report of cyberbullying between students, even if it appears that the activity is occurring off-campus, an individualized search should be conducted of the Internet use activities of the involved students through the district’s Internet system. This may reveal evidence of on-campus activity that can justify a wider range of responses.

Even if the activity is totally off-campus, there is much that can be done to seek to resolve the situation. It is exceptionally important to sort out the overall relationships between the students involved and to stop any related on-campus bullying.

Schools can contact the parents of the students involved in cyberbullying, provide them with evidence of their child’s online activities, and offer to provide assistance in helping them gain better control over their children’s Internet use. In such cases, it is strongly recommended that the parents install monitoring software on their home computers. If parents know that their children causing harm to others and fail to intervene to stop the harm, they can be held financially liable in a civil court proceeding.

There are also actions that the target or target’s parents can take to seek to stop the cyberbullying and remove the material. This includes contacting the website, Internet service provider, and/or cell phone company to file a complaint. In some cases, filing a civil lawsuit may be justified or contacting the police if the actions are in violation of criminal law.

Counselors can assist the target in dealing with these situations by either helping the target disengage from the online community in which he or she is being bullied or finding a way to stop the cyberbullying while remaining in the online community. Online communications provide interesting capabilities to help “bully-proof” a student. The communications are recorded. This can allow the student and counselor review the communications to determine whether actions of the student might be precipitating the cruel behavior. Bullies are reinforced when the target loses his or her “cool.” But online communications are invisible and can be delayed. Targets can learn the importance of not responding when upset and can take the time to craft a strong and assertive response. This provides targets with the opportunity to more effectively stand up to the bully and, in so doing, hopefully get the bullying to stop.

These new technologies are clearly an important part of youth life. There is simply no way to block or prevent their use. Increased adult supervision is clearly essential. But most importantly, these new technologies present a challenge: How can we impart to young people the knowledge, skills, and values to ensure that they make good choices that demonstrate respect for others and are empowered to respond effectively if others are not demonstrating respect for them?