How Are Bullying And Hazing Different

It’s no secret that hazing has become a major problem in both high schools and colleges. Hazing has been reported by more than a quarter of all college students active in clubs, sports, or other groups. In this article, you will learn about how bullying and hazing are two different things.

At the same time, approximately half of all high school pupils had been hazed at least once. Binge drinking, verbal abuse, humiliation, isolation, and sleep deprivation are some of the most prevalent forms of hazing students encounter regularly.

Differences

Bullying and hazing share many of the same power and intimidation aspects. Some claim that hazing might be considered bullying. In both cases, the offender has substantial power and influence over the situation, but the victim does not. Although hazing and bullying have many similarities, there are also subtle variances.

For example, bullying is an act of aggression perpetrated by an individual or a group of individuals to harm the victim. Harming the target is not the primary goal of hazing. Hazing aims to bring the target into an exclusive group, whereas bullying aims to keep the victim out of it.

On the other hand, bullying is a sort of social isolation and exclusion intended to keep individuals apart.

In addition to ostracizing, verbally harassing, and physically abusing victims, bullying can take many forms. A bully may target their victims through slut-shaming, cyberbullying, or gossiping.

Some of the same strategies used in bullying may be employed in hazing, which is often aimed at inflicting humiliation and embarrassment on its victims. They’re all members of the same clique or organization. A ritual or custom is used to justify their behavior, which they see as necessary to earn membership or acceptability. As far as many are concerned, hazing is nothing more than a well-planned form of bullying.

A bully’s goal is always to exclude someone in some way, unlike a hazer’s goal of bringing people together. Most hazers and bullies operate in groups, whereas bullies tend to act on their own or in small groups.

Bullying, on the other hand, typically begins at a much younger age than hazing, typically in high school or college. In contrast to bullying, hazing may be acceptable in the eyes of the public, even if it’s not supposed to be. There is just no justification for harming another human being.

• Bullying is an act of aggression intended to cause injury.
• A hazing ritual may involve physical or mental assault in order to be welcomed into a group.

Hazing In Various Forms

It’s possible to get hazed in a variety of ways. People haze each other in a variety of ways, including:

• Insulting or swearing at the victim.
• Assigning humiliating chores to victims, such as dressing up in a costume in public.
• Victims are prohibited from associating with specific individuals.
• Restricting access to essentials, such as sleep or food, to those in need.
• Victims are compelled to drink excessively or engage in drinking games.
• Enforcing subservience amongst the group’s younger members through the use of captives.

Preventing Hazing: What You Need to Know

Hazing is unquestionably harmful, probably unlawful, and even fatal in some cases. With so much at stake, parents must do everything possible to keep their children safe from hazing. Hazing can be prevented in four ways.

Start now. As with bullying prevention, parents must address hazing issues with their children while they are still young. Begin talking about hazing as soon as they enter middle school and keep it up through the high school. Before they depart for college, have follow-up discussions about the dangers of joining a group that asks them to do anything against their choice or that violates their values or beliefs.

Discuss the dangers. Remember that joining a team or an organization is never worth the risk to your children’s health and safety. Don’t overlook the dangers of hazing. Real-life hazing incidents should be used to illustrate how hazing has led to fatalities and injuries.

• Insist that hazing is immoral even if the person “agrees” to participate, as this consent is typically compelled through punishment or exclusionary measures.

• Assist them in handling hazing. The first approach to avoiding hazing is learning to be forceful and confident. Talk to your child about how to deal with hazing and instill these skills. Remember to remind them that they have the option to decline any request. To join a group, a person must be willing to give up their principles and safety.
• Educate your child on the importance of identifying healthy groups. Explain that if someone encourages them to sacrifice their values or who they are, this is probably not a club they want to join. Make sure that your children are aware of the characteristics of healthy friendships and how to set boundaries. This information will help prevent hazing events in the future.

Make sure you talk to your kids about the dangers of hazing as they prepare for high school and college. As long as they’re interested in joining a hazing-friendly group, keep talking about it.

It’s important to remember that hazing isn’t just exclusive to fraternal groups. Hazing is a part of the initiation process for many sports teams, marching bands, and other organizations. Don’t assume your youngster knows how to deal with these situations. As an alternative, discuss hazing instead. If you haven’t, do it now.

Meaningful articles you might like: The Role of Peer Pressure in Bullying, Cyberbullying And The Practice Of Catfishing, Knowing the Difference Between Conflicts and Bullying