Read on to learn how why this happens and how to stop it.
"When a girl sh*t in her pants and puts her pants on another girl's head, that's just disgusting," said the sister of one of the victims.
The sister also spoke of other forms of hazing the victim and 13 other JV girls underwent, saying 14 varsity cheerleaders, a student manager and a mascot picked up the girls one night recently as part of a traditional initiation.
A typical initiation usually includes waking up cheerleading pledges and taking them to breakfast in the middle of the night. The parents of the pledges thought that was exactly what was taking place. But the JV girls claim the seniors bound their hands with duct tape, blindfolded them, and tossed them in a pool.
Authorities learned of the incident the following day and said, "The district is investigating an alleged off-campus incident, possibly involving inappropriate behavior by certain students."
The sister of the hazing victim thinks that the alleged perps should be punished: "Hazing means you get kicked off the team and extracurricular activities."
How to Protect Your Kids
"While lighthearted hazing like wearing costumes and doing impersonations is acceptable, inflicting pain on someone is downright cruel," says Ross Ellis, founder and chief executive officer of Love Our Children USA, the national nonprofit leader on child violence prevention.
Is the media partially to blame? Sure, it's an old song and dance, but it makes sense -- contestants on the hugely popular television show Tila Tequila eat pig genitalia and drink blood to prove their loyalty to Tila, while other programs like I Love Money have players cross-dress and perform dangerous American Gladiator-style stunts to win large sums of cash. And remember Jackass and Fear Factor -- need we say more?
And while teens are certainly impressionable, it's not just television that influences socialization. "At the end of the day, children learn how to treat others from their parents," Ellis says. "Given the fact that there is enormous pressure to conform -- especially in a group mentality --- raising a confident kid will give them the courage to resist participating in hazing rituals. It takes a strong kid to stand up and say no to this kind of stuff."
The kids involved are in high school, but one thing is clear: They're old enough to understand consequences. We wonder if have they considered how this would affect their college application process?
"When you teach your kids kindness and compassion, you'll raise someone who won't initiate, participate or fall victim to this type of hazing," Ellis says. "Unfortunately, parents often learn this lesson too late."
And that is nothing to cheer about.
Have you heard about cheerleader hazing in your kid's school? Comment below.
|
previous: A Search for the Hottest Amputee
|
Email6 comments so far | Post a comment now >>
 |
 Get the scoop and latest giveaways delivered right to your inbox!
Subscribe to the Momlogic newsletter! |
 |
|
advertisement
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
The Momlogic Community
