Real Talk

Reasons Why Hazing in Schools Should Stop

by Kevyn Gohu
March 6, 2023

Are seniors hazing freshmen for the sake of tradition or just because they want to power trip?

Hazing has been long-standing in colleges. It’s like a rite of passage; as if to make the freshmen become a part of a club. But while interrogation is okay (with a bit of processing after), it’s not okay when it becomes physically violent to the point it results in death. It’s the most common in post-graduate schools like law schools and sometimes the military to “toughen up” the newbies. But here are some reasons why hazing should stop.

1. Not everyone can control themselves.

Unfortunately, stress can make anyone want to take out their frustration on something physically. And when school work just piles up, there will always be this urge for someone to beat something or someone. This is what many people describe as “seeing red,” unleashing their anger and forgetting that they’re not hitting the actual thing they’re angry at.

Unfortunately, this kills students and kids every year. A mother whose son was studying at the University of Cebu – Maritime Education and Training Center just came forward, revealing that her son died of hazing injuries while being inducted into a frat. She revealed that the cause of death included rhabdomyolysis — a state where the muscles are so damaged they release proteins and electrolytes into the bloodstream, either leaving people dead or disabled permanently.

A student from Adamson was also discovered dead, allegedly from hazing. His body was dumped in an open field in Imus, Cavite.

2. Not everyone has good intentions.

While it’s easy to argue that some people are just stressed, it’s harder to debate when the person has genuine anti-social or psychopathic tendencies. Psychopaths or anti-social people do not feel any remorse or empathy and resort to more violent approaches because they cannot feel what other people feel. Hazing brings out that side in people. The question is: how do we weed out those who do have those tendencies and the ones who don’t?

3. Hazing can be an outlet for revenge.

Let’s be honest: school has so much drama that it’s no surprise that some might resort to hazing to “get even.” Especially when seniors know they have the power, some may pass on a few words or two to their brothers from the fraternity to make the person’s school life horrible.

4. How is degrading someone a proper welcome?

Hazing is defined as an act of “degrading” or “humiliating” someone for them to be welcomed into the group. Somehow, we always thought welcoming and being part of a group meant at least treating a person to pizza.

5. How do you legally punish minors who just “follow traditions”?

Unfortunately, the legal system is so complex, especially when dealing with cases of hazing. It’s hard to punish minors because it’s heartless to put them in jail with hardened criminals. But the justice system shouldn’t let them get away with a slap on the wrist either, considering what they did is defined as “degrading” and “humiliating.”

The best to avoid this mess is to stop hazing. It’s a dangerous tradition where many people have died. Most of all, who is going to comfort the heartbroken parents when they discover that their child died because some other kids “hazed” him when all their kid wanted was to be part of a group?

6. There are better and smarter ways to welcome someone into a group.

If hazing is just a test of strength then, they may as well test them by deadlifting a makeshift barbell out of hardbound law or medical books. There are better ways to welcome someone to a group that doesn’t involve physically beating them to death or endangering their lives. No matter how anyone looks at it, that’s still considered murder.

7. You never know if the kid they hazed can fight back.

Many freshmen choose not to fight back to keep the peace. But there’s only so much a person can take before they snap. “Snapping” psychologically manifests in different ways. Some freeze. Others go berserk and attack everything within range and sight. Although the fraternities often try to bury incidents like these, it’s not a rare occurrence if the one they’re hazing exacts revenge or loses themselves to their fury. Or, they might even have connections and then use that against them.

8. Nobody’s medically trained to handle the aftermath.

Remember, the people who are hazing are children and are most likely not medical professionals. They’re also probably doing this under the radar, so there’s actually nobody among them who knows how to fix broken bones and handle internal bleeding. It doesn’t make sense to do something without a backup plan.

Don’t we have a law for hazing already?

The most ironic part is that we have a law against hazing and people can hold these kids responsible, especially when they’re 18. Also known as Republic Act 11053, Section 3 reads, “All forms of hazing shall be prohibited in fraternities, sororities, and organizations in schools, including citizens’ military training and citizens’ army training.” Additionally, there is a penalty of PHP 3,000,000 if one takes part in the hazing.