One of the uglier sides of youth sports is hazing. Many think that hazing is nothing more than harmless pranks perpetrated by upperclassmen / women college students against pledges at fraternities and sororities. If you do some research you will easily discover that hazing is a very prevalent ritual around sports teams. It happens in the pros, college and middle and high schools sports too. Sometimes these rituals are condoned by the coaches. Some are funny and seemingly and sometimes these acts lead to serious injuries (physical and mental) and death. So this is a very topic.
We were reminded of the seriousness of this topic again yesterday. In the wealthy suburb of Carmel, Indiana, a former high school basketball player took a plea deal in a hazing incident that happened about a year ago. Four former members of Carmel High's varsity basketball team were indicted by a grand jury for hazing and/or sodomizing school mates.
The details of the story can be found following these links and watching the video below:
Indiana High School Students Indicted for Hazing
Indiana Hazing Scandal Proves High School Students are Still Obnoxious
Additional information on Hazing
Hazing is not just a college problem anymore
StopHazing.org
The Main Point
I do not care if a lot of hazing is easily dismissed as good old fashion fun, I am totally against making people do anything against their will no manner how silly or seemingly harmless the act or prank is. All to often hazing crosses the line with excessive drinking, nudity or sexual abuse. If you do not believe me, check out this list of worldwide hazing incidences. Pure and simple, hazing violates human dignity.
It is crucial that parents know how prevalent it is and advocate for anti-hazing education, laws and enforcement of laws especially middle and high schools when kids have enough to worry about.
A dad blog that covers the drama, comedy and competition of youth sports in America.
despite current anti-hazing efforts, these high risk and oftentimes life-threatening practices continue to be a major problem on high school and college campuses. A multifaceted approach is critical to try to change what has, unfortunately, become a cultural norm. Being proactive and learning about hazing and its consequences is a necessary first step in maintaining safety.
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