Colleges, police and lawmakers no longer write off hazing as just a part of joining a fraternity, club or sports team. As hazing incidents have increasingly led to permanent injury and death, they’re treating it as the criminal offense that it is.
Many parents of college students are concerned that their child may become a victim of hazing. However, it’s important to talk to your college student about the dangers of participating in hazing. It doesn’t hurt to talk to kids younger than that as well. Hazing can occur on high school sports teams and in clubs. It’s certainly not unheard of for teen girls and young women to engage in it as well.
Georgia’s anti-hazing law
There are plenty of laws on the books that can cover hazing-related offenses – from underage drinking and drug-related laws to assault and even manslaughter. Georgia is among the growing number of states that also have a specific law against hazing.
Georgia’s law was named after a college student from Georgia who died from alcohol poisoning during a fraternity hazing in another state. It defines hazing as “an activity which endangers or is likely to endanger the physical health of a student, or coerces the student…to consume any food, liquid, alcohol, drug, or other substance….through the use of social or physical pressure….that will likely cause them to become intoxicated, pass out and/or throw up….regardless of a student’s willingness to participate in such activity.”
Hazing is considered a “misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.” The consequences can include up to a year’s incarceration and a fine. As noted, many people accused of hazing can be charged with other more serious offenses as well.
It can be easy to be wrongly charged
It’s important for young people to know that if they’re anywhere near a hazing event, even if they’re not actively participating in it, they can find themselves facing charges. Unless there’s a complete video recording of it, police may have to rely on each person’s account of what happened, and people in these situations can be quick to blame others.
While it’s only natural to be angry at a child who ends up in this situation through alcohol, drugs and/or peer pressure, it’s important to remember that a conviction – particularly on a serious charge – could change the trajectory of their life. Getting legal guidance can help protect their rights.