More than 250,000 college students in the U.S. have faced hazing rituals while joining fraternities or other selective social groups. If you were part of a fraternity in college, chances are you experienced hazing at some time, but you probably didn’t think about it much.
Hazing is generally hidden by society under the veil of taboo, but laws actually do exist that render many of the associated practices illegal. So why do so many exclusive social groups use such harsh initiation techniques? Psychologists have researched the cultural phenomenon of hazing by surveying college students across the U.S. Their findings are fascinating, and give us a better idea of why students are willing to go through so much just to be a part of the group.
Many fraternity pledges actually stated that they experienced a real sense of kinship with other members after going through hours of alcohol chugging or overdosing on water. These acts can actually kill you, but pledges are willing to go through these extreme situations because they feel a false sense of security and control.
Hazing rituals have such a longstanding history that newcomers now expect to be subjected to such acts before gaining admittance into social groups. Although our current laws render such cruel and unusual punishment illegal, you can expect hazing to remain a part of the initiation process as long as it stays behind closed doors.
Check out the infographic below presented by BestCounselingDegrees.com to learn more about the psychology of hazing.
Source: The Psychology of Hazing