As you may be aware,
the Office of Fraternity/Sorority Affairs and the Women's Center launched a
bystander intervention initiative for the entire Lehigh community in the fall
2009 semester. The initiative has been received well and we are constantly re-inventing
ways to expose the campus community to the concept of bystander behavior;
instilling the message of individual responsibility to stand up and intervene.
This week is Hazing Prevention Week and the Office of
Fraternity & Sorority Affairs along with its governing student councils
(IFC, Panhel and MGC) have partnered with Julie Sterret and Lehigh Athletics
peer groups to bring awareness to hazing prevention and education. This week is
a very important event sponsored by our office as we aim to bring awareness to
an issue that not only affect college campuses, but society as a whole. While
there have already been numerous well received and attended programs thus far,
we wanted to bring your attention to one that will be used a social experiment
for the campus.
If you have heard of the ABC Series, “What Would You Do”
with John Quinones, you are familiar with the concept of the events that will
occur. If you are not, please allow me to give you a brief synopsis. What would
you do if you saw an act of injustice? How would you react to something so
outrageous or tragic that it compels you to do something about it? “Primetime:
What Would You Do?” sets up elaborate realistic scenarios with actors testing
real controversial subjects to see what ordinary people would do when pushed to
act, or if they act at all.
The purpose of this program: 69% of people on campuses
nationwide say that they are aware of hazing occurring at their schools, yet
hazing goes unreported each year. We want to gauge people’s reactions to the
various acts of hazing carried out throughout the day and let them know what to
do if they see something similar in the future.
These examples of hazing are the most obvious and most common forms
(that don’t involve forced consumption of alcohol or sexual acts), so they
would be the best ways to show the campus community what hazing looks like.
1. Abduction
Why: 9% of social fraternity and sorority members report
being abducted as part of their hazing process.
It is also one of the most apparent forms of hazing (both due to the
public aspect of it and the cultural glorification) and is something that can
very easily be reported.
2. Forced
Calisthenics
Who: Panhel
Why: Physical acts of hazing are common, especially for
athletic groups and male fraternities. This form of hazing can sometimes be
disguised as a “group workout”
If you have any questions or concerns about today’s
programming, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Fraternity and
Sorority Affairs. Our hope is that by bringing these issues to the public’s
attention, we may educate on what hazing is and how to identify acts of hazing.
Recognizing the negative impact hazing has on all of Greek
life, 20 international fraternities and sororities have joined together to
establish a national Anti-Hazing Hotline. The toll-free number, 1-888-NOT-HAZE
is available to those who think they, or students they know, have been or may
be victims of hazing. Callers may remain anonymous or provide personal
information so that they may be responded to directly.
The law firm of Manley Burke will forward copies of messages
to the appropriate national organizations along with the relevant hazing laws
for that jurisdiction. Lehigh University students, faculty and staff are
encouraged to use this resource, along with the local and campus resources, if
they suspect that hazing is occurring within the Greek system.
If you feel that you may have insight to an incident that
may be considered hazing, please fill out the online form at https://www.lehigh.edu/~indost/greek/hazingeducation.shtml
. This form is anonymous and your
identity will be kept confidential. It will not be disclosed to the individuals
or group in question. If you would like our office to contact you about the
status of the investigation, please provide your contact information below for
a follow up. All information obtained will be used solely for this purpose. If
you would prefer to speak with someone about this form and disclosing your
identity, please feel free to call the Office of Fraternity & Sorority
Affairs at 610-758-4157.