I was reading the Chicago Tribune, and came across this article http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-030508hazing,1,6268353.story?coll=chi%2Dnewslocal%2Dhed.
In a prosperous town North of Chicago, the junior and senior girls were having a "powder puff" football game, that turned into a hazing of the junior girls. The juniors were pelted with mud and feces, splattered with paint, and beaten up. Two of the girls needed medical attention.
Two assumptions made in the article truly bothered me. It was suggested that parents had provided alcohol, and also had helped to gather the feces used in the hazing. What parent in their right mind would have done that?? The sanitary considerations alone make this a dangerous and stupid activity, but what kind of message did they give their children? "It's okay to play with feces, honey; they won't hurt you at all!" "Go ahead and drink in public.....everyone else does!" "BASH that girl! You've hated her all year; now's your chance to give her one!"
Where were the school officials who should have been present for a school activity? Was this planned to take place in the Forest Preserve so that school officials wouldn't be there? And what about parents who were present? Why didn't they stop it?
Hazing is inappropriate! ANYWHERE! I was involved in a hazing situation at college, and learned that even at that age, students still need guidance. The book "Lord of the Flies" runs through my mind every time I hear about students having the chance to assert their authority over classmates. We need to do a lot more to be sure that young people understand the need for social interaction, and how it works.
It's old fashioned, but I've always used this as my guide: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Yep....the Golden Rule. Generations have used it successfully, but I'm beginning to worry that it's going to fall by the wayside. Just how do you pursuade the junior girls that revenge isn't sweet, and necessary? After all......they'd just be doing what has been done to them!
NO MORE HAZING!