Teenagers may face ‘hazing’ in school: Arm them up against it
As fun and exciting high school and junior college is, it can also be an extremely challenging experience for some teens. Growing up in these social structures comes with increasing levels of tricky situations to navigate through. Bullying is a common obstacle for many, but another one at par with it is hazing. Although both are similar in some respects, they also differ when it comes to intent. Both involve the same power differences and intimidation factors. However, the intent of bulling is usually to intentionally hurt the victim and keep him/her out of the group. On the other hand, the intent of hazing is to initiate the target into an exclusive group.
Hazing can be of two forms, namely subtle and explicit hazing. The former usually includes tactics such as deception, assigning demerits, silent treatment, name-calling, assigning duties which are not required to be completed by other members, etc. These have a significant emotional, physical and psychological effect on the target. Explicit hazing takes it a step even further and includes verbal abuse, threats (both verbal and physical), asking the target to perform humiliating stunts/skits, physical abuse, etc.
Unfortunately, hazing is often justified as a ritual or a tradition that a newcomer has to go through in order to secure membership in a group. It can be emotionally and physically taxing for teens as it uses tactics similar to those of bullying such as name-calling, humiliation, ridiculing, etc. Here are some ways to help your teen stand up for himself if he ends up being hazed.
Make your youngster aware of hazing
We all know that it is essential to make small children aware of bullying and ways to combat it before sending them off to primary school. The same rule applies while it comes to hazing, commonly faced by highschoolers. As your child grows older, remember to have follow-up conversations about this so that she is equipped to spot the signs of hazing if it happens to her, or someone around her. Making kids aware of this social menace is the first step.
Equip him with tools to deal with hazing
One of the best ways to deal with a hazing situation is to simply be assertive and confident. Encourage your teen to practise these qualities on a daily basis, and not be hesitant in saying no to something. Remind him that his values should not be subject to compromise, at any cost.
Make her aware of the risks involved in hazing
Another integral part about dealing with hazing and bullying is to also make teens aware of the risks of practising it. Your teen may end up actually hazing someone in an effort to look cool within the group. Ask her to put herself in the shoes of the target and analyse the situation with all the risks. Remind her that hazing is a wrong thing to do, even if the target agrees or complies to being hazed.
Help him choose the correct groups to be a part of
Explain to your teen that any group which asks for you to compromise who you are and your values is probably not the best bunch of people to associate with. Encourage him to set boundaries when it comes to friendship, and not be afraid to decline to be in groups that make him feel targeted and uncomfortable. Remind him that who he surrounds himself with, has a massive impact on the type of person he eventually become.