Violent Hazing at HBCUs

<p>Real Sports made a report about very violent forms of hazing present in marching bands at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Freshman are beaten with objects by upperclassmen in their section as initiation. They claim that the magnitude of violence in these hazing events is significantly greater than "normal" hazing.</p>

<p>They profiled one person who was hospitalized for kidney trauma after being beaten (this lead to criminal charges). He transfered to another college where hazing does not happen (but has a lesser known marching band). They also interviewed a flautist in a small section (hazing is divided by instrumental section) who described how her and her freshmen peers attitudes changed during their hazing. They originally wanted to stop this. In the end an attitude of anticipation of being able to do this to future freshmen took over.</p>

<p>Although students and sections are occasionally suspended from games (and sometimes expelled from the school), the bands themselves are never suspended from games. They're too popular. The whole situation remains unresolved, despite efforts among schools to stop hazing.</p>

<p>When reading this, the first thing I thought, (which I have always believed) is that hazing is not unique to Soroities and Fraternities. Hazing, a form of bullying, (IMO) can happen whenever a group of people have any control of others in the group. The group type does not matter.</p>