Pro-hazing article in Cosmo

[mshudec]

When most people think of hazing they think of the following categories:
Harassment Hazing

• Verbal Abuse
• Threats or implied threats
• Calling a member education event "hell night"
• Asking new members to wear embarrassing or humiliating attire
• Stunt or skits with degrading, crude or humiliating acts
• Expecting new members/rookies to perform personal service to other members
• Sleep deprivation
• Sexual simulations
• Deprivation of a normal schedule of bodily cleanliness
• Being expected to harass others

Violent Hazing

• Forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption
• Beating, paddling, or other forms of assault
• Branding
• Forced or coerced ingestion of vile substances or concoctions
• Burning
• Water intoxication
• Expecting abuse or mistreatment of animals
• Public nudity
• Expecting illegal activity
• Bondage
• Abductions/kidnaps
• Exposure to cold weather or extreme heat without appropriate protection

BUT, what people fail to realize is that some of what they're calling the "good" hazing, that brings them closer together IS hazing. It falls into a third and often overlooked category.

Subtle Hazing

• Deception
• Assigning demerits
• Silence periods with implied threats for violation
• Deprivation of privileges granted to other members
• Requiring new members/rookies to perform duties not assigned to other members
• Socially isolating new members/rookies
• Line-ups and drills/tests on meaningless information
• Name calling
• Requiring new members/rookies to refer to other members with titles (e.g. "Mr.," "Miss") while they are identified with demeaning terms.
• Expecting certain items to always be in one's possession

It is SO important that we educate our members about subtle hazing and not just harassment and violent hazing. Subtle hazing has long term psychological effects that take place internally and are less visible to others, but it can still be JUST as severe. Nothing about hazing is good. This woman failed to grasp the true meaning of sisterhood as her founders intended it. What a shame. I do hope however, that this leads to change for that campus culture, that chapter and members that may have been experiencing hazing.