Practice Areas

• Slip and Fall Accidents / Premise Liability
• Car Accidents
• Construction and Work Accidents
• School Accidents and Children's Injuries
• Railroad Accidents and FELA
• Sexual Assaults
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Drunk Driving Accidents
• Concert and Club Accidents

Blog

Library

New York Lawyer: What You Need to Know about Hazing

Hazing--a humiliating, degrading, abusive or harmful activity expected of someone joining a group--is most commonly associated with college fraternities, sororities and sports teams. But this practice is also seen in the military, on job sites, and on the rise in high schools. Younger and younger victims are facing the brutal rituals of hazing when joining school sports teams, fraternities and club. This week, ten football players at Clover High School were thrown off the team and three others suspended after several alleged assaults that were reported as part of team hazing rituals. At a New Mexico high school, hazing victims were grabbed, held, groped, sexually assaulted and punched. Earlier this year, members of a wrestling team at Jefferson High School in Michigan were suspended after reports that they urinated on new members in the showers and sexually assaulted them. The statistics speak to the widespread problem:

• 1.5 million high school students are hazed each year
• 55% of college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing.
• 40% of athletes who reported being involved in hazing behaviors report that a coach or advisor was aware of the activity; 22% report that the coach was involved.
• 2 in 5 students say they are aware of hazing taking place on their campus. More than 1 in 5 report that they witnessed hazing personally.
• In 95% of cases where students identified their experience as hazing, they did not report the events to campus officials.
• 36% of students say they would not report hazing primarily because "there's no one to tell," and 27% feel that adults won't handle it right.

It's important for parents and students to understand the dangers and widespread problem of hazing. Those who witness hazing must understand the importance of reporting these incidents. Hazing is a crime that destroys team members and, rather than making groups stronger, it weakens the team/group and should never be tolerated. Victims can take legal action.

Here are some signs to look for in an individual that may be the victim of hazing:

• Cutting, branding, labeling, or shaving of parts of the body
• Required to walk in groups, greet members in a specific manner, and/or carry certain items.
• Loss of voice due to having to yell
• Physical exhaustion from being forced to do certain activities, such as multiple sit-ups
• Mental exhaustion, change in personality and/or withdrawal from normal activities
• Not coming home for days or weeks at a time
• Not being able to sit down or soreness from paddling
• Appearance of sadness or expressions of inferiority
• Sleep deprivation due to being forced to participate in late-night work sessions

Has your child or someone you know been the victim of hazing? Hazing is a crime and it is important for victims to know their rights. If your child was the victim of a hazing incident you may be entitled to compensation for injuries as well as pain and suffering. Responsible parties may include the school, organization as well as responsible parties.

Contact us for more information and to find out how to protect your legal rights. Our experienced lawyers understand the difficulty and embarrassment kids may face and will treat you with compassion and answer all your question. We will sit down with you for a free consultation, answer all you questions and let you know your rights and what you can expect from the legal process.

New York City and Long Island
Personal Injury Lawyers

 Helping injured accident victims throughout New York City, Nassau and Suffolk County

Nassau Office: 1778 Hempstead Turnpike East Meadow, NY 11554 
Suffolk Office: 320 Carleton Avenue Central Islip, NY 11722
New York City Office: 420 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10170

Lawyer Neal Goldstein| Top Attorney Car Accident

Free Books

Learn More

Bullying in Long Island Schools- A Lawyer's Look

See All

Free Consultation

FAQs

Testimonials

News