Sorority Girls Arrested For Hazing: Did Authorities Overreact?

by imarichgal Posted 2010/01/29 18:46:07

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	No, authorities did not overreact. Hazing is inexcusable!	6 votes	50%
	Yes, hazing is just a part of joining a fraternity/sorority.	3 votes	25%
	I think hazing...	3 votes	25%

Six members of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority at Rutgers University were arrested under charges of hazing. Some of the prospective pledges ended up in the hospital after being paddled and denied food for several days. The sorority has been placed on probation and the six girls arrested could face criminal charges and expulsion from the university.

Though the actions of these girls are disturbing, no pledges were permanently harmed by the events. Whether authorities are aware or not, hazing takes place in fraternities and sororities all across the country. Some may consider the actions taken against the arrested sorority girls to be arbitrary when considering the amount of hazing which takes place in the US.

Did authorities overreact in their arrests of the hazers?

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JCD aka "biz" 2010/01/30 19:05:10

I think hazing...

Funny, you say that "hazing takes place in fraternities and sororities all across the country", while a number of people claim on a similar poll ("Sorority girls arrested for beating pledges") that hazing incidents are the exception.
I tend to believe that you are right.
Just google "hazing", and have a look at my Paris-based anti-hazing site, which has a section in English, www.sos-bizutage.com ("bizutage" is the French word for hazing).
Anyway, I hope these girls who paddled at least one pledge more than 200 times will be severely punished.

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Larry 2010/01/29 19:28:57

No, authorities did not overreact. Hazing is inexcusable!

What happened to the old days where the guy had to wear a dress everywhere he went.Sending people to the Hospital is way out of line.What we did in College was embarrassing but not physical torture.Having to run naked between a line of girls blindfolded while they hooted and yelled at you throwing ice cold water on you. This was all in fun and nobody got hurt.(maybe their egos).

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JCD aka... to Larry 2010/01/30 18:57:26

Humiliating the boys in the presence of young ladies was also a common thing long ago in France, when only boys were hazed. Happened to me, but the next year, I refused to haze the new students.
Things have changed, and one of the reasons my association finally managed to have hazing banned by the law in 1998 was that public opinion was outraged at the indignities girls were made to submit to.
There are still isolated incidents today, only last year a boy was forced to run naked ithrough the streets of Nice, on the French Riviera.

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Larry to JCD aka... 2010/01/31 16:44:30

I still say that as long as nobody get bodily harmed,then you still can have some fun.I like to know that when everything is over,it's off the the local pizza place and we are 'ALL' having a good laugh and will remain friends for ever.Humiliating someone by embarrassing them can be part of the fun.That party should also know that he or she is among good friends and that their friends are there to see that no harm will come to them.Friends protect friends.There should be some kind of rules of what you can or cannot do.Running naked through the streets-Maybe for a block,whereas you have a car and clothes waiting at the finish line.Nobody should be 'FORCED' to do anything.You could give the pledge a choice of three things they could do. It would be their pick.

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Lady Whitewolf 2010/01/29 19:28:39

No, authorities did not overreact. Hazing is inexcusable!

+1
Nuff said. If I was going to be in college and join a Sorority, I would tell them I want to join, and that they have 5 minutes to decide - yes or no. AND NO HAZING!

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Waiting 2010/01/29 19:03:07

No, authorities did not overreact. Hazing is inexcusable!

It all depends on whether the pledges permitted it. It they didn't it is assault, forcible confinement and possibly more.

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JCD aka... to Waiting 2010/01/30 18:50:21

+1
I beg to differ. Once pledges have accepted obeying orders from older students, wrongly thinking that hazing is inocuous, there is so much peer pressure, and often so much liquor, so little sleep, that they will submit to the worst indignities. That's why our French anti-hazing law, which I helped draft, makes no distinction between forced hazing and "voluntary" hazing. The penalty is up to 6 months in prison + a 7500 euro fine (and possibly damages).

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Waiting to JCD aka... 2010/01/30 18:55:04

+1
I understand what you are saying, but I would need to see the details of the law as I have seen too many laws harm innocent people with poorly conceived/written laws.

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corrinne 2010/01/29 18:55:03

No, authorities did not overreact. Hazing is inexcusable!

+1
It really should be illegal. I just don't understand WHY people would go through this to be in a stupid sorority or fraternity. You don't want to be around people who treat others like that.

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JCD aka... to corrinne 2010/01/30 22:22:35

+1
Mademoiselle Corrinne, I agree with you 100%. BTW, it is illegal in some US states.

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Nat™ 2010/01/29 18:48:51