There is another poster here who is a current collegiate member, I'm an alumna, but still in the vicinity. If there were hazing issues on this campus they'd be all over the news, and I know the student media paper would print any incidents. Do we have risk management issues, yes, as do all colleges and even people aged 18-22 all over the US and Canada. In regards to fraternities ahve I seen behavior i find borderline with my NPC lens? Yes, and there have been groups who have addressed issues that were crossing the line and handled them internally before it became a huge issue and people were filing law suits or dying.

If there was a group hazing at UI they'd be exposed and handled with a quickness, and in my time here I have never heard of nor seen sorority hazing. Trust this is a small campus and it wouldn't be kept a secret. Not to slam my nearby neighbors at Wazzu, but they have had sorority issues with hazing, not us. You can call the Dean of Students Office, Bruce Pitman would be happy to talk to you and I'm sure they'd transfer you to the newish (as of last summer) Greek Advisor, Matt Kurz, as well. You can reach both of their offices at 208-885-6757 bruce Pitman at askjoe@uidaho.edu or greek@uidaho.edu

I am refraining from saying anything else other than GO VANDALS!

If you are really worried about death, realize that the number 1 cause of death in hazing incidents is alcohol poisoning. Don't drink more alcohol than you are used to drinking. NPC sororities do not have a strong history of hazing with resulting death, so I'm not sure where you got this idea. Unfortunately, when men haze, the result can be more deadly. For women, hazing usually involves more psychological forms of abuse.

When you go through recruitment, if you hear that a group hazes, realize that where there is smoke, there is probably fire. If you chose to pledge that group, you may have to deal with hazing. Most likely, this will be psychological or verbal abuse, but you do NOT have to take it. Contact your Greek Advisor or call the Hazing hotline. Hazing only has power when the people being hazed let the hazers have power over them. Sorority membership isn't important enough to put yourself at risk if it comes to that, so just walk away.

Even among my friends who attended school at some of the most "old school" institutions, I rarely hear of hazing and have never heard of any dangerous hazing in "real life" (meaning not from anyone I know personally). It's unlikely you'll be hazed, but the bottom line is that you can always remove yourself from an uncomfortable situation. I don't think it makes sense to avoid rushing for fear of being hazed because it's very unlikely you'll experience hazing, especially dangerous hazing. Go ahead and rush. If you pledge a group that hazes (including mental/emotional abuse..it isn't just physical) you can contact their national/international office as well as the NPC and the Greek Advisor at your school...and then quit.

I think what most people here are getting at is that you probably will not be hazed, and that the extreme incidents you read about here are few and far between. The fact is athletic teams haze, fraternities haze, sororities haze...groups of any kind can haze, but usually the individual groups that do are in the minority. Don't miss out for fear of these incidents. Just keep your eyes open and if you start to feel uncomfortable, find an older member you trust and ask them what the deal is. Then you'll be able to decide whether or not you want to stay with the group. Obviously if you find yourself in a situation where real harm (again either mental/emotional or physical) is being done, simply remove yourself and take proper action to help prevent other women from being in the same boat. But you are far more likely to have a pleasant experience rushing and fond memories of your chapter after you leave college than you are to experience hazing.

General statement:
I don't think it's wise for Greeks (regardless of the council and conference) to assume and therefore tell aspirants this. We only know what will happen in the (collegiate or alumnae) chapters that we are involved in.

And I don't think it's true that (again, across council and conference) the collegiate chapters (and football teams, etc.) that haze are in the minority. Many GLOs' policies generally operate under a broad definition of hazing as to capture all sorts of "unofficial rites of passage" that members can come up with.

PNMs/aspirants who are grown and mature enough to pursue membership can also accept such honesty and potential for harsh reality.

"As of February 12, 2010, the number of recorded hazing/pledging/rushing-related deaths in fraternities and sororities stands at 96 - 90 males and 6 females. *"

Since the OP specifically referred to death and other extreme measures of hazing, this is an important statistic to consider. I have not found a reputable link that gives a current statistic on specifically Greek hazing incidents, but hazingprevention.org, where my statistic came from, says that 55% of students in college have been hazed...in a club/athletic team/other organization. So since by this definition we all had over a 50% chance of being hazed regardless of the organization we joined, I stand by my statement that worrying about dying or being severely mentally/emotionally/physically shouldn't be a deterrent in deciding to rush. For someone that appears to be as aware of, and against, hazing as the OP seems to be, it stands to reason that they would be able to recognize hazing if it occurred, remove themselves from the situation, and hopefully follow through by reporting the hazing.

This topic is similar to understanding that crime reports are based on known incidents which are a percentage of actual incidents. Self-report studies and victimization studies of crime find that crime is more prevalent than 911 calls, official reports, and statistics reflect.

A similar effect would be found if there was a self-report and victimization study for fraternity and sorority hazing administered at colleges and universities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alumiyum (Post 1942496) "For someone that appears to be as aware of, and against, hazing as the OP seems to be, it stands to reason that they would be able to recognize hazing if it occurred, remove themselves from the situation, and hopefully follow through by reporting the hazing.

I agree. And I believe that's what PNMs/aspirants need to be reminded of. That's actually what some GLOs formally focus on during informationals/rush/aspirant programs/new member periods. This approach focuses on state laws and NHQ and school policies rather than telling aspirants whether they probably will or will not be hazed at a particular chapter. These organizations recognize that PNMs don't need members to pretend as though they know how much actual (undisclosed) hazing occurs in every chapter and can predict whether the PNM will be hazed. That can set unrealistic expectations that can lead to people saying "you told me it probably wouldn't happen" as opposed to "it isn't supposed to happen/it's against policies so please speak out if it happens."

Oh and I agree with this and it isn't what I was replying about. :)

For the record, discussing hazing isn't just discussing the hazing that results in death or mental/emotional/physical repurcussions.

Because of the OP's post and specific concerns, that's what I focused on...the extremes. But yes, it is certainly a broader topic than just extreme examples.

some fraternities haze, some don't, make sure you choose the right one for you

for me its all about tradition, i have no problem but
hazing is not a good idea, we had people die from it
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...63&ft=1&f=1001

thankfully there is a video about anti hazing here from stophazing.org for my fraternity lambda phi epsilon
http://www.stophazing.org/nuwer/july08column.htm

be smart if you haze guys dont let anyone die

:rolleyes: @ the bold

I find it interesting that a member of LPhiE is educating us about hazing. It's like a crackhead teaching us about the dangers of drugs [but if you DO take drugs, be smart and don't overdose].

I felt the same way before I rushed, and in retrospect, it was pretty rediculous! Although I don't go to your school, I don't think hazing happens much anymore. In the event that anything DOES happen, you can always just walk away. Don't let fear hold you back!

I apologize if this is sounding redundant because I realize its already been said but I want to reiterate that if you're put in a situation you're uncomfortable with all you have to do is say so.

As FleurGirl said, don't let fear of something like this hold you back from rushing. IMO, Sisterhood is the point of being a sorority member (among many other great things as well) and if you recieve a bid to join an organization it is because they view you as someone they want to share that sisterhood with. They aren't out to hurt you or embarrass you, what would they gain from that?