By: Pat Griffin
Hazing as a form of team initiation is a persistent problem in men's and women's athletics all levels. Justified as a rite of passage for new team members, hazing is often defended as a team bonding activity. Hazing can subject initiates to dangerous, degrading or embarrassing situations involving alcohol abuse, sexual humiliation, bondage, cross-dressing, nudity, illegal activities or tolerance of pain or discomfort. Peer pressure and the desire to become part of a team plus the promise of being able to mete out similar treatment to the next group of initiates make it difficult for new players to refuse to participate in hazing activities. To do so places the initiate at risk of being perceived as not a “good sport,” not a loyal team member, or, in the case of men's teams, not “man” enough to endure hazing.
Questionable at best, dangerous at worst, hazing in athletics is often ignored by school staff even when school policy prohibits it. Unfortunately team hazing has long been a part of athletic culture and tradition from professional to school sports and coaches have often participated in hazing as athletes. Coaches may not be physically present when hazing occurs, but they are usually aware that hazing occurs. Coaches often claim not to know about or be responsible for the specifics of hazing activities on their team because hazing activities are organized and carried out by team leaders. School officials in general and coaches in particular must take greater responsibility for educating athletes about hazing policies and enforcing them.
In addition to the danger and humiliation inherent in many team hazing rituals, activities that are based on gender stereotypes, demeaning women, homophobia, racism, sexual humiliation or simulations of sexual activities teach athletes that this is acceptable school sanctioned behavior. High school boys and college men's teams have participated in hazing activities that call for simulated sex acts (inserting carrots in the anus, for example), touching or being touched by teammates' genitals (elephant walk and tea-bagging), enduring homophobic or anti-woman name-calling or dressing as women. These activities are meant to humiliate initiates and test their team loyalty by submitting to “forbidden” or “unmanly” activities.
Hazing is also becoming more common on college and high school women's teams. Initiates have been expected to strip to bra and panties in front of the team, blindfolded and their bodies painted by teammates, and commanded to perform simulated sex acts. Team members have also been directed to perform lap dances on members of male sports teams as a part of hazing.
Not only is this kind of hazing questionable as a team building activity, the subtext of these activities is demeaning to women, gay men, people of color and transgender people. Other hazing activities call on initiates to endure pain or cold, drink large quantities of alcohol and perform dangerous or humiliating activities in front of teammates.
With the advent of the Internet and Web sites such as Facebook or Myspace, these activities are documented by team members themselves with photos taken during hazing and posted on the Internet. This practice has led to an increasing awareness of the extremes to which team hazing activities can go and to team punishments meted out by embarrassed school officials. Web sites like badjocks.com have called attention to many questionable athletic team hazing activities by displaying photos and calling for an end to them.
Coaches and athletic administrators need to take responsibility for educating athletes about hazing and making sure that team initiation activities are safe and within the bounds of school-sponsored activities. Claims of ignorance or policies that are not enforced lead athletes to believe that hazing will be tolerated as long as these activities do not become public and cause embarrassment to the school.
There are better ways to develop team unity and initiate new members than to place them in dangerous or humiliating situations as a requirement for joining a team. It is the coach's responsibility to make sure that, if her or his team plans initiation activities, they are within the boundaries of safety and dignity expected of a school-sponsored activity.
Recommendations:
- Athletic administrators and coaches need to take responsibility for setting proactive boundaries around team initiation activities to prevent the team from engaging in dangerous practices or humiliating activities that are based in sexism, racism or homophobia: Develop an anti-hazing policy and make it known to all.
- Athletic administrators need to educate coaches and athletes about appropriate and inappropriate team initiation activities with clear lists of what is not appropriate.
- Coaches and administrators should develop and make public guidelines about team initiation activities.
- Coaches should talk to team captains and hold them accountable for safe and appropriate team initiation activities before they are planned and after they happen.
- If inappropriate team initiation activities occur, administrators should hold coaches and team captains accountable.
- Coaches, with team captains, can identify acceptable activities that can successfully serve the purposes of team initiation and bonding without humiliation, danger and stereotyping.
Resources:
- Jay Johnson and Margery Holman. 2004. Making the Team: Inside the World of Sport Initiations and Hazing.
- Nuwer, Hank. 2000. When Rites Become Wrongs. Franklin Watts, Publisher.
www.stophazing.org