The Importance Of Hazing In Human Culture

Hazing is a concept that has been seeing increasing prevalence in America, especially within the past few decades. Indeed, hazing can be done for any number of reasons, yet the increasing prominence of technology such as social media means that the message that is sent through hazing is more salient now than ever. Although these traditions are a way to help promulgate the violence and reduce it, it is nevertheless as inhumane as causing direct harm, yet despite this, current laws do little to stem the tide of hazing incidents, nor to protect those who are vulnerable to them. This is especially disgusting when one considers the psychological, mental, and, in many cases, physical harm that can ultimately arise as a result of hazing. For this …show more content…
For instance, the same source maintains that hazing is more than simply the sum of a particular group's initiation activities. The distinction, then, largely comes from a mismatch between what an individual wants or is capable of doing, with what they are being required to do (Cimino 242-243). The example given is having a group of body builders lift a number of cinderblocks, versus the local book club. The cruelty and animosity within hazing, then, becomes obvious. Furthermore, hazing has a number of psychological benefits for those that are doing the hazing that have allowed it to persist for so long. For example, according to the source, hazing generates what is known as "group solidarity," functions as an open expression of dominance to both the victim and those who witness it, and also allows for the selection of committed group members (Cimino …show more content…
One of the most effective ways to help prevent hazing is simple: education. According to one source, within the military, the Office of Hazing Prevention has begun to take steps to not just track hazing, but to help eliminate it entirely (Klimas). To do this, the office will grow an incident database, and create new policies, and informing all soldiers of these policies, in order to begin better and more effective practices of reporting and education (Klimas). This same resurgence in awareness is also taking place across colleges as well, as one source reports that a comprehensive approach is the most effective when it comes to preventing many of the most harmful practices of hazing, such as excessive drinking (Allan and