Lesson 5-7

Open Unit 5 Student Journal Page 13, Lesson 5 Journal Entry Describe a group, club, or team you belong to or would like to be a part of. Explain what the group, club, or team does, who’s in it, and why you like belonging or want to belong. Include a description of what, if anything, you had to do or would have to do in order to join this group, club, or team.

Belonging to a group is important to many people and can help people feel connected and accepted. Teens and young adults can belong to a family, group of friends, team, club, or other organization Some groups require new members to meet certain requirements or do certain things in order to join the group Today we are going to talk about what can happen when groups make belonging to the group dependent on a person doing humiliating, dangerous, or risky things - HAZING

Hazing refers to any humiliating, degrading, or dangerous activity that is expected or required to join or stay in a group, regardless of that person’s willingness to participate. Groups often require members to keep these activities secret. *** Alcohol and other drugs can make the hazing even worse (dangerous and life threatening).

Might involve being teased or doing something embarrassing. These behaviors may seem harmless, annoying, or silly, but can still break reasonable standards or trust, respect, and personal dignity.

Might include being made to eat or drink something or to do something risky. This kind of Hazing can cause emotional or physical distress for the targets

Hazing can cause immediate or long-term physical injuries, emotional harm, disability, or even death. Some acts of hazing are crimes. Group members may be forced to participate. Its important to understand that people may have different levels of tolerance or acceptance of hazing behaviors. What one person laughs off or calls harmless, another person might consider demeaning, threatening, or harmful.

Sports teams Clubs Leadership groups Cheer and spirit groups Bands Gangs Military groups Fraternities and sororities

Making someone do things that are embarrassing or risky, often in public. Treating someone as a servant. Embarrassing or ridiculing someone. Depriving someone of standard group privileges. Requiring someone to go without food or sleep. Isolating someone socially. Name-calling and put-downs.

Forcing someone to eat or drink things, including alcohol. Activities that involve nudity or acts of a sexual nature. Daring someone to do something dangerous. Stealing something or destroying property. Taking someone’s clothes and/or forcing them to wear something silly or demeaning. Exposure to heat, cold, or extreme weather. Paddling or other forms of physical abuse.

Groups that haze usually think of their hazing activities as an unbreakable tradition. Established group members do to new members what was done to them when they joined the group. Some groups believe that hazing will create an initiation rite for their group, or ways to welcome new members, that will build a sense of loyalty or eventual closeness within the group. New members are expected to consent to hazing activities in order to prove their loyalty to the group.

People may have different ideas about hazing. NO NAME Statements about hazing that you agree or disagree with. When done, fold in half, I will collect it, shuffle, and hand back to tally results of the whole class.

Many groups have initiations. Some groups have requirements for joining, and there’s nothing wrong with this. But when a group practices hazing, it’s a form of bullying. 1.When people haze, they’re exerting power or influence over others. This is true, because the new members or people being hazed really want to be part of the group. Current members are in a position of power to say who will join and who will be rejected. A bully has some form of power over his or her target.

2. Victims of hazing don’t choose to be hazed. People who are hazed often agree to participate because they really want to be part of the group. If the hazing is a long-standing tradition, they might not feel like they have a choice… in this way the members are forcing them to participate. Would they agree to be treated in these ways in any other circumstances? 3. Hazing is intentional and repeated. This is one of the ways bullying is defined. Although members of the group may only have to go through the hazing rituals once, these hazing activities happen again and again over time to new people (tradition).

4. Hazing is the misuse of power to intimidate, harass, and coerce others. People use their power as group members to frighten, humiliate, and even hurt the people who want to join their group. If initiation is embarrassing, painful, potentially harmful, or criminal and future members are forced to participate… definition of bullying. 5. Hazing should be reported. Hazing often continues because the group swears its members to secrecy. Like other forms of bullying, hazing depends on bystanders and targets to tolerate or keep quiet about it. Targets – new members who are hazed. Bystanders/perpetrators – hard to determine with a group… could be both.

Victims of hazing Groups and group members who haze Parents of the victims or those who haze Adults in charge of teen groups that haze Schools where hazing happens Can you identify some consequences of hazing for each of these groups?: Targets (victims) Perpetrators (groups of people who haze) Bystanders (other students, parents, schools)

May feel shame, humiliation, or anger May be hurt emotionally and/or injured physically Severe or violent hazing can lead to disability or death Illegal hazing – caught can lead to criminal record

Suspended or expelled from school, team, or club Lose school privileges or scholarships Guilt or ashamed Face criminal charges, juvenile detention, or jail Civil lawsuit Lose respect of peers and even future opportunities Group Members who don’t Participate in the Hazing: May also be held accountable for its results Guilt about not stopping the hazing Entire group might be disbanded or punished if dangerous hazing results in injuries or other negative consequences

Feel angry, frustrated, or ashamed on behalf of their child If victim is disabled or dies, they must care for them or face the loss Expensive and time-consuming legal trials Judgment or rejection of other families in the community – reporting the hazing or being the parent of the hazer

Suspended from their position or lose their job Criminal charges or civil lawsuit with costly settlements Careers and record of past accomplishments can be tarnished – ruined

Lose the trust and respect of their students, families, and communities (injury or violence as a result of hazing). Can be suspended from sports league or other organization that has policies against hazing or lose winning record. Student programs suffer. Sued, high profile court cases, and costly settlements.

Hazing activities that involve alcohol or other drugs are always more dangerous. Alcohol and other drugs affect the reasoning and judgment of those involved. Dangerous risk taking increases on both the part of those conducting the hazing and those being hazed. Alcohol and other drug use can increase the recklessness of the people doing the hazing. It can make the person being hazed sick – alcohol poisoning and illegal under age of 21.

Desire to belong can be powerful. They endure the hazing because they think it can get them something they want – membership in the group. If they want to join, they feel they can’t object to anything the group wants them to do. Might feel embarrassed or shame. Threatened with emotional, social, or physical harm if they tell.

Groups of 3 Give each group a chart paper and marker Brainstorm ways groups, teams, or clubs could welcome new members in a way that would keep them interested and loyal, yet also show respect, and promote the safety and dignity of both the new and existing group members.

Dinners or banquets Public announcements Community service Dignified ceremonies, with family and friends present Fun and safe active gatherings or games days Wearing certain items of clothing only used by group members such as emblems, T-shirts, sweaters, or jackets Being given the privilege to call yourself by a certain name Asking new members to recite or pledge to uphold the purpose and mission of the team or group Asking a new member to serve as a role model for others

Safe Respected Pride in the Group Greater Loyalty More trust in the other group members Supported Important in the group

You don’t have to accept dangerous and disrespectful things being done to you or others in the name of loyalty or belonging. There are many ways groups can welcome new members in supportive, respectful ways.

Remain in your same groups Turn chart paper over What can teens do to help prevent of stop hazing? You’re going to have 2 minutes to brainstorm as many ideas as you can think of in your group. We will share and discuss Raise hand if you agree or disagree (+) by those ideas that the class agrees with and (-) by those they think are impractical or unrealistic with.

Start a Conversation Don’t Ignore or Deny Rumors Don’t Make Excuses for Hazing Face Your Moment of Truth Make the Smart and Safe Choice Report

Hazing is an act of harassment with the potential for violence that has serious consequences. Silence and secrecy are a part of the problem. Like other forms of bullying, when hazing is allowed to continue it’s likely to escalate, which means it’ll get worse, happen more often or even begin to happen to more people. To stop hazing, it’s important to report it to people who can help you deal with the problem (friends, peers, trusted adults).

Share one thing you learned during this lesson that made sense to you about dealing with the problem of hazing.