Hazing
 

If a person on line refuses to be hazed by an individual(s) that unlawfully haze, what happens to that person? Are they kicked off line? Do the individuals in the organization respect that person's standards or do traditions dictate whether the person crosses?

It depends on a lot of things.

This is a situation best handled with your best judgment if it happens.

In the meantime, you have a LOT of other things to worry about on your pursuit. Have you attended any events or service yet? Met members? Downloaded an application?

I have done two out of the three. These steps are easy. The possibility of suffering lasting bodily injury because of some psycho who thinks that is the measure of manhood is my only issue of concern.

I'm sure you know that there is nothing that any of us can say about what will or won't happen exactly since we are not where you are. You and the chapter are the only ones that have a say in this matter. I'm sure you also know that the NPHC does not condone hazing or pledging (which is seen as one in the same currently) so the one who's being pledged is just as wrong as the members who are involved in the pledge process. The only thing you can do is to express your concerns once you have made some of these men your friends and face the challenges as they come. If there is really something happening or about to happen that you don't agree with, ask to speak with the members about it. They might just respect your standards and if they don't, you'll have to make a decision but you always have a choice to stay or leave. That's the power that everyone has but sometimes people want to act like they don't have any. If something is really against what you believe in, then don't go through with it and the choice should be simple. Also remember that there is always grad chapter and one chapter doesn't necessarily embody the ideas and philosophy of an entire organization. Good Luck!

Hazing is illegal and your organization's founders and its current leadership do not want its members to break the law.

If an issue of hazing comes up, leave the situation and notify your collegiate adviser.


Hazing is a felony in many states. It is against the honor code at pretty much every university in America. Many honor codes will expel you from school for hazing.

Victims of hazing who did nothing to prevent the acts from occurring are also held responsible for not reporting it/going along with it.

Do not allow yourself to be hazed. There are better and more constructive ways to build a brotherhood than to belittle or batter its members.

Well said, adpiucf. It is hazing that really brings GLO's down - particularly the fraternities. My sons are both out of college, but when my older had just pledged, a boy in another fraternity was found dead in the fraternity house after a hazing party. He had consumed massive amounts of whiskey. It was so very sad for all concerned. Needless to say, the house is no longer at that campus.

Good question BUT:
You may have posted in wrong thread. There is a whole RM section which you may care to review.
There is no "answer" that "we" can provide to you.

I was never hazed but my line had all agreed if one person was feeling uncomfortable or hazed we would all step out and say that. Strength in numbers plus it shows unity

Sooooooo many people thinking it is ALL about THEM before they join. Thanks Crazyrob for that. That is the whole point behind above ground pledging...

Why are folks so competitive these days?

wait...let me get this straight...dude was on line, dropped, snitched(b!tched), then became a member? yo, its one thing if you're a skater or paper...but at least you aint snitch/b!tch to get into the org. I dont care how one got in, whether its pledge/skate/paper, but to snitch and force your way in is not wats up in my book. THATS when i have no respect for you....

How else would we be able to stamp out the sort of behavior which could potentially threaten our organizations' existences? It takes a lot of courage to be a "snitch." Far more than it does to simply go along with whatever [illegal] program one's organization has put together. In most states, hazing is a crime. At a minimum, by "snitching," one is saving future generations from having to risk potential jail time/fines and blemished records.

I typically am not one to judge what other organizations are doing. NPHC least of all. But with all due respect, your attitude and the attitudes described by the individuals in the community described by PrettyBoy are pretty disturbing.

NPC organizations have by and large been successful eliminating hazing. NIC organizations have had success, but to a somewhat lesser extent. Are NPHC organizations having a more difficult time? Why?

I'm going to have to disagree with you. I have come across more situations with hazing concerning IFC fraternities than NPHC fraterniteis. I'm not saying either does it more or less than another, just speaking on what I've encountered.

Also, when looking at the things PrettyBoy was speaking of you have to take into consideration WHEN these people became a member of their respective organizations. Yes some of that is passed down but I think that it plays a factor on how people will respond to thing.

That's really despicable.

I think i understand what BlueNYC is saying though....If you're going to snitch on someone, why would you still want to bully your way into the organization? If someone attempted to haze me, I'd snitch the crap out of them - but then I'd walk away. I wouldnt want to be in an organization that condones hazing. But from the sounds of it, this person snitched and then managed to be initiated anyway, even though nobody liked him. I would have been different if he snitched, and got respected and they still wanted him to Initiate. Of course - that's not the impression I got from the story. I got the impression that this person bullied their way into being initiated.

Let me get this straight. The chapter required 8 more weeks of "underground" pledging after these guys had already been initiated per the national ceremony? And after the national initation ceremony, the chapter lied to the newly initiated about fraternity symbols and secrets and withheld the correct information until these guys had completed the chapter's additional 8 weeks?

Wow.

But it was tradition!!

By informing your HQ, you're showing yourself to be a more loyal member than anyone directly violating their HQ's edicts are. As we always sway, our organizations are for life, not just for college. Why should you allow yourself to be robbed of this lifetime experience because some people were violating the rules and you called them on it?

That's hardly "bullying" your way in. That's showing that you have what it takes to make tough choices and then being accepted by an organization which should be grateful to have such a dedicated and loyal member -- someone who is willing to put what is right above what is convenient. The organization is lucky to have such a person.

But that's the thing. No organization condones hazing. That chapters do it against their national policy is unfortunate. If the organization takes swift action and deals with those who were hazing, how could you possibly maintain that the organization supports or condones hazing?

No one respects someone who turns them into the authorities for breaking the law. Who in that equation has the moral high ground though?

You say "bullied," I say "did the right thing."

Agreed.

Yes, he did the right thing for snitching - but why on earth would he still want to join? That's the point of view I'm looking at it from. And why did these guys still initiate him if they werent going to respect him? Something about this story/situation doesnt make sense.....

In NPHC orgs, it is stressed that membership is much more than the chapter.

They might not have had a choice in the matter.

What Senusret said is true for NIC organizations as well -- membership is bigger than just the chapter. It's for life, not for college. Doing the right thing isn't easy -- and it certainly shouldn't cost you your membership. I can't speak for another organization, but had this kid been a Sigma Nu, he would have in my eyes been more qualified for membership than anyone who stood by and did nothing while the chapter participated in illegal activity which could jeopardize the entire organization.

If I found out that my chapter (which I am a founder of ) was hazing, I'd personally see to it that they were shut down. My loyalty is to my national organization above all. I am a Sigma Nu first, a member of my chapter second.

I know others feel differently, but I think this kid did an incredibly courageous thing. Instead of the easy/popular route, he decided to do the right thing which resulted in him being a marked man wherever he went. I can only hope I'd have as much strength to do what is right if placed in a similar situation.

Ditto. That took some guts and he probably had days that he regretted doing it. I'm sure that if he feels what he did was right, he'll still make the most of his experience.

Yes well when lying to national headquarters comes back in style, do let me know.

Again, wow.

So you taught pledges to respect the fraternity by disrespecting the fraternity yourselves? And that was a good thing?

But you still lied to your HQ. Even "back in the day"

That's the chapter's dumbness for pledging/hazing people prior to the vote. Selectivity apparently is a lost art. Stupid chapters allow people to bogart their way in.

Unless your organization has an administrative override (add-on) policy, the most solemn responsibility of chapters remains the selection of members. You can't have the OLD process under the NEW rules.

Was he pledged, hazed, pre-pledged, or in any way contacted inappropriately prior to the vote? If you read what I said, I obviously understood that he was never selected. If he was contacted inappropriately prior to the vote, then of course he will have more footing when it comes to bogarting his was in.

Are we still referring to the dude you all didn't teach any secrets to?

So basically he was.

I refer back to my original statement:
That's the chapter's dumbness for pledging/hazing people prior to the vote.