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In 2017, a first-year student at Louisiana State University, Maxwell Gruver, died of alcohol poisoning after drinking 190-proof alcohol called Diesel. The first thing that comes to mind? Careless youth that does not know what to do with the freedom of being away from the parents and starting adult life. But what if I told you that Gruver died because of a centuries-old university tradition that persists despite official bans and efforts to cancel it on campuses nationwide. The Louisiana State University student fell victim to hazing. Hazing is an initiation ceremony in which a person has to suffer humiliation, degradation, abuse, and danger to join a group. Often seen as a rite of passage, hazing has proven to be very dangerous to college students – the community I am part of. Therefore, I am writing this letter to demonstrate that hazing is an unfortunate tradition that is no longer acceptable on college campuses.
Hazing is not fun or innocent. In fact, it leads to many negative consequences. The media do not do a great job covering the detrimental impact of hazing because it is only deaths that are reported. However, statistically, 71% of hazing survivors have long-lasting negative effects (Allan 45). Some of them develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), a debilitating condition that prevents people from normal functioning because of anxiety, depression, flashbacks, and loss of control over their lives. Others complain about poor academic achievement and underperformance because of peer pressure and psychological suffering. It is easy to imagine how difficult it must be to build relationships after hazing as they do not know who to trust. Lastly, hazing may pose threats to physical health in the form of intoxication or injuries. How is it fair to start college expecting new knowledge, connections, and opportunities but instead having to heal from the consequences of a cruel and outdated tradition?
I want to add that it is not only the victims that are likely to face negative consequences. Not enough attention is paid to how hazing derails the lives of those who organize such events. A number of states enact anti-hazing laws according to which abusers might have to pay monetary fines and, in some cases, even face jail time. Hazing may result in a ban from participating in some educational programs, suspension, or expulsion. Some people who host hazing events are talented athletes that may lose their membership and privileges if they cross the line. I believe that a good part of abusers is misguided and conformist. Because no comprehensive action is taken, they compromise their own future prospects for a night of being cool and in charge.
A national survey that involved 12,000 college students aged 18-25 shows that more than half of them have experienced hazing (Allan 67). With all the negative effects of hazing, you may be wondering why this tradition is still taking place on college campuses. I am sure that the misunderstanding of its appeal is what prevents governing bodies from being effective in stopping it. Senior students are role models and authorities that freshmen look up to. Science says that adolescence and early twenties are the time of the most profound brain changes in humans. The brains of teenagers and young adults are extremely sensitive to affect and reward processing (Sherman et al. 40). External cues control young people’s behaviors. Therefore, freshmen cannot consciously turn off the process of seeking external validation. For them to become adults and recognized members of a new group, they need to scan their surroundings and conform.
You may be asking yourself why former freshmen organize hazing events for newcomers if they know very well how humiliating it is. It turns out that students participate in the so-called cycle of abuse. Because students rarely receive proper counseling, they decide to become bullies themselves. For them, acceptance came at a high price, and they do not understand why freshmen could just forego the same rituals. So the cycle continues and former victims retaliate.
There have been efforts to put an end to the dangerous tradition. Thirty-three states have anti-hazing laws that punish the bullies and cancel fraternities and student organizations that promote hazing. Yet, given that new cases arise now and again, it may be that these legal measures get something wrong. The willingness to participate in hazing is rooted in students’ identity, especially when it comes to male students. We have this toxic idea of masculinity that is associated with unreasonable risk-taking, violence, and aggression. Legal prohibitions make hazing riskier and, hence, more appealing. It is a failure on the behalf of universities that students do not see alternatives to hazing. There is plenty of options – team-building games, retreats, and outings that help assimilate new members into the group. It is not enough to ban hazing without having something better to offer.
Malcolm X said that “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” Today’s students are the future of this nation: a talented workforce, bold leaders, and compassionate helpers. Studying is hard on its own, but it is even harder when one’s only path toward acceptance and recognition by peers is a humiliating and dangerous initiation. Though objectively, students see hazing as wrong, their psychological drive for acceptance makes them take part. I am once again drawing your attention to the lack of alternatives and ask you to look beyond legal bands. Now we need a vision and a new identity that is built not on aggression and conformism but on camaraderie and collaboration.
Works Cited
Allan, Elizabeth J. Hazing in View: College Students at Risk: Initial Findings from the National Study of Student Hazing. Diane Publishing, 2009.
Sherman, Lauren E. et al. “Peer Influence via Instagram: Effects on Brain and Behavior in Adolescence and Young Adulthood.”Child Development, vol. 89, no. 1, 2018, pp. 37–47.
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