INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION OF HAZING
The paddle: a classic device
used to haze in fraternities
Hazing is a pervasive and encompassing issue that faces a variety of organizations across sports, the military, and colleges. In college, hazing is an especially sensitive topic because the activity finds itself immersed in Greek life, specifically in fraternity life. Varying from college to college and organization to organization, the definition of hazing cannot be pinpointed to a single, unified understanding in the eyes of the law. For example, Cornell University, the state of New York, and California State Polytechnic University all possess distinctly different definitions of hazing in their laws (Kershnar 88). However, despite legal technicalities varying, a general definition of hazing can be defined as simply “the abuse of new or prospective members” (Cimino 241). Hazing exists and has remained an integral part of fraternity pledging through the years despite universities prohibiting it. Some fraternities have adapted to changing policies surrounding hazing but others have not, continuing a tradition of degradation that rewards in initiation. As administrators, Greeks, and parents try to sift through the information on hazing and make a decision regarding whether it is detrimental, the practice has continued to grow into a more intricate issue as individuals realize that a line exists between innocent, harmless hazing and dangerous, deadly hazing. Rooted in thousands of years of history, hazing is a complex issue, possessing both positive and negative qualities; however, as hazing becomes an increasingly publicized issue, administrators are forced to forbid hazing in their institutes, despite a line existing between harmful and harmless hazing.