Hazing US English , initiation , [ 1 ] beasting [ 2 ] British English , bastardisation Australian English , ragging South Asian English or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them regardless of a person's willingness to participate.
Hazing is seen in many different types of social groups, including gangs , sports teams , schools , cliques , universities , law enforcement , military units , prisons , fraternities and sororities , and even workplaces in some cases. The initiation rites can range from relatively benign pranks to protracted patterns of behavior that rise to the level of abuse or criminal misconduct.
Hazing is often prohibited by law or institutions such as colleges and universities because it may include either physical or psychological abuse , such as humiliation , nudity , or sexual abuse. Hazing activities have sometimes caused injuries or deaths. While one explanation for hazing is that it increases group cohesion or solidarity , laboratory and observational evidence on its impacts on solidarity are inconclusive.
Other explanations include displaying dominance , eliminating less committed members, and protecting groups that provide large automatic benefits for membership from exploitation by new members.
In some languages, terms with a religious theme or etymology are preferred, such as baptism or purgatory e. In Swedish , the term used is nollning , literally 'zeroing', as the first-year hazees still are 'zeroes' before attending their first year. At education establishments in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, this practice involves existing students baiting new students and is called ragging. It often features cat-related activities, like competitive milk-drinking [ citation needed ].
