Be a Delta Zeta Hero Against Hazing

Often, we hear about bullying as something that happens among school-aged children and adolescents. Many of you can probably think of a person you’d consider a bully now. Whether it is in your chapter or your workplace, think of that person who pushes a little too much, makes you feel like you don’t measure up, and is generally a hassle to deal with. When does bullying cross the line and become hazing? When is the mean girl in your chapter actually breaking the law and hazing another member?

According to HazingPrevention.org, nine out of ten students who have experienced hazing in college don’t feel that they were hazed. If those who are affected by hazing have a hard time identifying it, how do we, as Delta Zetas, educate our members on how to respond to this type of behavior? The line between bullying and hazing can be found in our Purpose.

"The purpose of this sorority shall be to unite its members in the bonds of sincere and lasting friendship, to stimulate one another in the pursuit of knowledge, to promote the moral and social culture of its members, and to develop plans for guidance and unity in action; objects worthy of the highest aim and purpose of associated effort."
Constitution of the Delta Zeta Sorority, Article II, Section 1

If we are truly united by sincere and lasting friendship, then the bullies or mean girls, or any of the other words you’d use which describe a hazer, wouldn’t last long in our chapters. Delta Zeta chapters which are upholding our Purpose do not have room for those members. But, we know, it is hard to confront that bully, mean girl or hazer. She is a roommate, friend, big sister or even an alumna reliving her glory days of what the chapter was like “when she was in school.” What do you say in the moment when you see behavior unfitting our Delta Zeta Purpose, breaks our National Risk Management Policies and is against the law (44 states have hazing laws)?

Delta Zeta urges you to take a lesson from the Response Ability Project and become an Every|Day Hero. One of the original supporters of the Response Ability Project, Delta Zeta continues to support  the Every|Day Hero Campaign. At this summer's Norma Minch Andrisek Leadership Conference, Mike Dilbeck, the RA Project founder, delivered his message of how each Delta Zeta can become a hero. A hero is as an individual or a network of people that take action on behalf of others in need, or in defense of integrity or a moral cause (from the RA Project Website). Simply go to http://raproject.org/pages/everyday-hero-campaign and sign up on the right hand side of the page in the Take the Pledge box. Once you enter your email and name, make sure to note that you are taking the Pledge as a part of the campaign for Delta Zeta on the next page.

Bully, mean girl, hazer – whatever you call it – we want you to be a hero who helps stop it.