Fraternity & Sorority Members Need to Work Together With Colleges & Universities to Help Stop Hazing Deaths

(Image courtesy of http://hazingprevention.org/)

Since the inception of this blog in 2006, I have not dedicated a post to the problem of hazing within fraternities and sororities. I wanted to remain focused on the positive aspects of Greek letter organizations. However, because of horrific recent high profile hazing deaths, the national conversation to ban fraternities and sororities is gaining traction.

Fraternity and sorority members across the country, both active and alumni, play a vital role in ending the culture of hazing within our organizations. Forcing a prospective member to drink alcohol is hazing. Period. Physically and mentally abusing a prospective member is hazing. Period. Forcing a prospective member to overly consume food, water or any other substance is hazing. Period. Active and alumni members who witness these acts have a responsibility to the prospective member, their organization, and themselves to take a moral stand and stop these dangerous hazing behaviors in their tracks.

National fraternity/sorority governing boards must take a stronger stance organizationally against hazing by enforcing anti-hazing policies. Each organization needs to find effective ways to monitor the pledging activities of its chapter members. This can be achieved by having dedicated fraternity/sorority staff or volunteers who check in with individual chapters to ensure that hazing is non-existent.

Fraternity and sorority boards also need to work closely with local colleges and universities. Local chapters should be able to govern themselves, however, there needs to be some sought of governance of pledging activities in place. If members of Greek life can work together with the administration of colleges and universities to enforce anti-hazing policies, collectively we can help end the senseless death of prospective members.