Hazing (subjecting newcomers to abusive or humiliating tricks and ridicule) has always been seen as a secretive campus activity when it comes to fraternities and pledging. As a result, Dr. Mark Taff resorted in his article that, "..a series of 168 cases of injuries and deaths related to fraternity hazing activities...[occurred] in the United States between 1923 and 1982" (2113). Young college men are being hospitalized and even worse, dying, just for a couple of friends that give them a sense of belonging. The major causes of hazing are the students' wanting a sense of belonging in a big college campus, the college's infrequent knowledge of what occurs in fraternities, and the unwillingness of fraternities to change tradition. Since hazing has been around for more than a century, one cannot expect the practice of hazing to stop all together. It will probably take years before hazing perishes from the fraternity scene. Nevertheless, until an end is put to hazing, solutions can !

be used to make hazing less common, until it no longer exists. These solutions that may be able to put an eventual stop to hazing, in the long run, are better education about fratern

ho is? The victim? College administrators must take full responsibility of what happens with their students. If something happens to their students, especially when something is done by college-approved organizations (fraternities), then college administrators are responsible. Even though administrators don't want the responsibility that is asked of them. Even author Hank Nuwer states that, "unless media and public pressure is brought to bear on colleges and other groups in which hazing is common, administrators will continue to call hazing by any other name" (27). One final solution that could restrict hazing, and eventually put a stop to it, is stricter laws that prevent hazing from occurring. Some 35 states have anti-hazing laws which are considered constitutional (Marcus B1). Still, this does not mean that they are preventing hazing altogether. Author Hank Nuwer states that, "In relation to the number of crimes committed annually, hazing laws are seldom invoked by district!

The humiliations of hazing are said to build bonds between pledges and fraternity brothers. According to fraternity beliefs, the theory goes, if you and a couple of friends go through fraternity initiations, drinking excessive amounts of beer and being beaten by fraternity members etc., and only you and your friends go through it, then this gives you all something in common. An example of a hazing victim is typically a white male 19 to 20 years of age, who is experiencing some types of injuries between the months of February and April or September and October (the pledging seasons). Men are experiencing injuries including those caused by "blunt force (beatings, paddling, motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian accidents, and falls from height), cold exposure, heat exhaustion, gunshot, asphyxia, electrocution, cannon and beer-keg explosions,..." (Taff 2113), just to name a few. These supposedly bring the fraternity "together." Hazing also occurs in both sororities and black fraternit!

owers [who]...[have] helped achieve [anti-hazing laws] in Wisconsin, South Carolina, and New Jersey, respectively" (252). As a result of these people's interests, "fraternity members are discovering that they are extremely vulnerable to legal action stemming from alcohol-related incidents, hazing abuses and sexual assaults" (Marcus B1). Fraternities are liable to pay large sums of money in hazing related deaths. As Mr. Manley (a lawyer) states in an article written by Amy Marcus, "the students don't realize "that they could end up in jail, in bankruptcy court, or spending the rest of their lives paying off a multimillion-dollar debt" (B1). All fifty states have to pass anti-hazing laws so that hazing can be put to an end , without having more pledges die as result. As Eileen Stevens states in Marcus' article, "publicity about larger settlements and damage awards has forced many colleges to re-evaluate the fraternity social system and implement tougher rules" (B1). Without the !

One cause of hazing is that fraternity members do not want to change tradition. Hazing has been a part of fraternity initiations ever since fraternities were founded. Hazing was used to test the

Some common words found in the essay are:
Eileen Steven, Mark Taff, Milloy C10, Marriott B3, Hank Nuwer, September October, Stevens Marcus', Jack Daniel's, Preface Chuck, Starts I1, college administrators, fraternity hazing, prevent hazing, anti-hazing laws, hazing incidents, prevent hazing occurring, hazing occurring, college campuses, stricter laws prevent, laws passed, hank nuwer, marriott b3, laws prevent hazing, author hank nuwer, intervention college administrators,
Approximate Word count = 2120
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)