Talking about Hazing Prevention

Many victims and those affected by hazing never speak about it. And those who know about hazing instances may only speak in hushed tones or use language that is downplaying its severity. That is why National Hazing Prevention Week is so important. It gives all of us the opportunity to talk about hazing and hazing prevention.

National Hazing Prevention Week will be held September 24-28, 2012. Many campuses and fraternal organizations will be holding events throughout the week, all with the goal of ending hazing. If your chapter would like to plan an event during National Hazing Prevention Week, here are some great places to start:

• http://www.hazingprevention.org/programs/national-hazing-prevention-week/planning-a-resources.html
• http://gordiescall.org/

For some, though, the issue of hazing is more personal than attending an event on campus or reading an article in the newspaper. It is something they have experienced, witnessed and tried to stop. It’s a topic that is brought up whenever we say we are a member of a sorority. Hazing and hazing prevention is something that we need to talk about – to our friends, family, people we meet on campus and most importantly, our sisters. Conversation is important. As the author Margaret Wheatley tells us, "One of the things we need to learn, is that very great change starts from very small conversations, held among people who care." Here are some resources to help you prepare to have those critical conversations about hazing prevention:

• https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%2340Answers
• http://www.hazingprevention.org/images/stories/upload/40answers_compiledresponses_final.pdf
• http://tjsullivan.com/hazing-and-human-rights/
• http://www.deltazeta.org/blog/BlogEntry/115?link=http%3A%2F%2Fdeltazetablog.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fwhy-language-is-important.html
• http://tjsullivan.com/hazing-is-morally-wrong-because-it-has-the-potential-to-hurt-its-just-that-simple/
• http://fraternalthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/09/is-it-hazing-just-ask.html

Be sure to follow Delta Zeta’s Facebook and Twitter as well as the National Hazing Prevention Week Twitter hashtag #NHPW12 for more information and discussion.