2009 HPO Essay Award Winners

1st Place - Mercedes Thomas, student

As 17 year old Gabby approached the monument standing outside of her high school she had no idea she was being watched. Her best friend had been following her from the moment she had stepped out of her house. Gabby had been acting strange ever since she had made the cheerleading squad. And Lisa had to find out why. As Gabby took a bottle of spray paint from her bag Lisa gasped. The pieces of the puzzle came into place! Gabby had to do this to be "accepted" in the squad although she had already made the team! Lisa's mind spun out of control so much that it made her head hurt. Yet the only thing she could ask herself is what would she do? Vandalism, alcohol consumption, physical abuse, and sexual assault are just a few of the ways that many people are initiated into a group, organization, or affiliation. Hazing is more common now than ever before.

More than 1 million high school students have been hazed. And 55% of college students have been involved in hazing also. Men, women, boys, and girls are being pressured into doing things to fit in. Whether it be for a fraternity, sorority, sport, or club there is no excuse for making someone do something that will be harmful for them. Hazing continues to be apart of many initiating rituals. Although this is a big problem there is a major concern with those who witness hazing. Many of us know someone who has at one point in time been involved in any kind of hazing. The question is what is the responsibility of those who witness or suspect hazing? I believe the answer is quite simple. We as friends, family, or just American citizens should be obligated to confront those involved in hazing. With love we should express our concern and offer help. There will be some instances in which the person will not listen. In those situations we should go to someone in authority. It may hurt and cause friction between you and the person, but in the long run it is beneficial. It is better to have said something and created tension than to have kept quiet and allowed danger. As a community we should organize hazing prevention clubs. As schools we should educate students on the dangers of hazing and how to help stop it. I truly believe that all of us can help stop hazing. Speak out against hazing, it is the only way to prevent it.

2nd Place - Rebecca Siegal, student, University of Connecticut

What is the responsibility of those who witness or suspect hazing? Responsibility is a funny thing and people have a tendency to interpret their responsibility in any given situation differently.

Responsibility in a hazing situation speaks very strongly to personal ethics and feelings. A person who witnesses or suspects hazing has occurred, may run through a range of emotions in relation to the situation. For example, an individual might feel fear of retaliation, or a desire to dissociate from the circumstances thereby circumventing a sense of responsibility.

It is human nature to avoid conflict and distress whenever possible and reporting a hazing incident or intervening to assist someone who is the victim of hazing brings both conflict and distress into the reporter's life.

These are emotions the average person would like to avoid. Overcoming those emotions can be a tremendous struggle. Age and maturity may play a part in that struggle. A youth lacking in life experience may not be able to make a clear and concise decision although many adults with a more mature perspective may make a poor decision also.

But the question remains - What is the responsibility of those who witness or suspect hazing? The responsibility is to establish good personal ethics and intervene in any way to eliminate this barbarous activity. Hazing is usually viewed as some type of an initiation activity but often takes form in a cruel and inappropriate fashion. The differences between an initiation ceremony where someone may be asked to sing the alphabet backwards versus one where someone is physically or mentally abused are worlds apart. Hazing situations can often be exacerbated by youthful emotions and disregard for established rules. Crowd mentality can take over during hazing. It only takes one individual to step forward and be the voice of reason to reverse a course of action that a group of people may have taken.

So what is the responsibility of someone who witnesses or suspects hazing? The responsibility is to take the moral high ground and to apply good use of ethical thought processes. To do whatever can be done to stop an incident that is happening in front of them or to report to appropriate authorities suspected behavior. The rewards are far more valuable than the inherent knowledge of having turned away from someone else’s harm whether it is physical or emotional. It is much easier to live a lifetime in your own skin knowing that you have done the best you can possibly do to help someone in need than to live a lifetime knowing you were weak and turned away when someone needed your help. So the responsibility is to find the fortitude to do “the right thing.” The responsibility is to be that one person that steps forward and speaks up. The responsibility is to do whatever you can to insure that another individual is not harmed in any way. Not locating the personal resources to take these actions can result in catastrophic results.

Responsibility is something everyone must take ownership of every day. It is what facilitates living in a free society and governing ourselves as free people. It is the basis by which we remain a free country. Free to live lives of extraordinary privilege even during times of great difficulty. Our country was framed around the concepts of freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. It is everyone’s responsibility to do their part in insuring we remain a country of great privilege and if that means policing ourselves from time to time and reminding our fellow citizens of the value between right and wrong then it seems like a very small price to pay for the reward it offers. Allowing an event you know to be morally, ethically, or otherwise wrong - like hazing - means you are forfeiting your responsibility to society and to basic values and rights. The more responsibility we accept as individuals the less we will need to voice those objections. The less we need to voice those objections the closer we are to growth and enlightenment and the spirit of freedom that we are all charged with preserving.

3rd Place - Daniel Breeden, Student, UCSD

Hazing is an intolerable act where one person demeans or humiliates another. But witnessing hazing and harassment is not a one-side affair. There are three parties involved; the person committing the act, the person being hazed, and the bystander. Each has a responsibility and duty to stop and correct hazing incidents.

The person committing the atrocious act of hazing is clearly at fault during any hazing incident. He violates that person’s individual liberty and human dignity. There are no excuses to pardon this person from his actions. The victim of hazing has a responsibility to resist and report all acts of hazing. Failing to resist is tantamount to condoning the incident of hazing.

The innocent bystander in a hazing incident is almost a contradiction in terms. Although he is not the perpetrator or the victim, the bystander is not without responsibility in stopping this and future acts. John Locke postulated that in a free society, everyone has the privilege and liberty to act and speak as they wish, so long as it doesn¹t interfere with another person’s liberty. Judicial courts and tort law have placed certain restrictions of the limits of expressions of liberty, but Locke’s premise largely holds true. All Americans can do almost whatever they want to do.

We can wear the clothes we want to wear, associate with whomever we want, read whatever literature we want, and report, or not report acts of hazing.

A person who witnesses an act of hazing is not required to report said hazing. No just law can obligate that person to intervene or speak to the proper authorities regarding the incident. That is part of the freedom we hold dear in our hearts. However, that doesn’t excuse the bystander from failing to act. While not obligated to act, the bystander should have the courage and personal integrity to take the act of hazing as an insult to him and all of mankind.

Aside from standing up for someone who may be unable to protect themselves, the act of hazing is most likely not an isolated incident. The target of hazing may be another person today, but the bystander may be the victim tomorrow. Further hazing can lead to resentment and a hostile work environment. This is the precursor to a loss of the bystander’s liberty.

Edmund Burke eloquently stated that, “the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.” Living in fear is not an expression of freedom. The antagonist that created the fear is infringing upon the personal liberty of the victim. This can lead to our victim not enjoying his life to the fullest extent. He will be less productive at work and a less productive member of society!

Trust and confidence in himself and his neighbors will have been degraded. This is how evil will triumph when our bystander fails to act. Intervening to stop and prevent hazing can be any multitude of actions, depending on a myriad of potential circumstances and variables. Physically stepping in between the victim and harasser may not always be a feasible option. Sometimes the physical presence of witnesses will be enough to stop the act. Other times a word of disapproval can stop hazing. In a harsher situation, a physical confrontation or call to the police may be necessary.

The innocent bystander has the choice to act or walk away from a hazing incident that he witnesses. That is an inalienable right for liberty that he possesses. But of his potential options, the only moral and responsible choice is to intervene to end the heinous act. We are all innocent until we allow evil to harm the personal liberty of another.