QUEEN ELIZABETH HIGH SCHOOL PROUD OF A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE BUT NOT AFRAID OF "BREAKING WITH TRADITION" IN THE NAME OF THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELFARE OF OUR STUDENTS!

HAZING: RITE OR WRONG All teenagers want to fit in and be accepted socially by their peers. This is especially true when students move onto high school from their smaller junior highs and join clubs and teams with many students from different schools. It is also important for existing members of many groups to initiate new members as a way of welcoming them into the group. When initiation rites are done appropriately, they can meet a teenager's need for a sense of belonging and also the group's need for members to understand the history and culture of the group, and build relationships with others who belong.

BUT INITIATION RITES AND HAZING ARE NOT HE SAME THINGS! HAZING is defined as any humiliating, dangerous or potentially harmful activitiy expected of juniors upon entering a new school or joining a new group such as a sports team, regardless of their willingness to participate.

WHO'S TO BLAME? Hazers can be anybody. They do not have to be power-hungry, sadistic misfits. Some people who get involved in hazing activities are insecure older kids, possibly jealous of a younger kid's skill. Others may suffer from low esteem or may even have been former victims of hazing themselves. Some may be pumped up on drugs and/or alcohol and are trying to prove to themselves, to their friends, while others just find themselves caught up in an activity which has gotten out of control.

THE WARNING SIGNS If you see a group where the "power differential" between the old and the new is great, this should be a warning. Watch out for groups where everyone is not equally respected and treated the same. The following activities are all examples of HAZING Being yelled, cursed or sworn at Being publicly embarassed Having to act as a personal servant to an older group member Being told to eat or forced toeat disgusting things such as cat food, tobasco sauce, raw eggs Being trown or forced to go into a pond, ocean, toilet or other body of water Pressured to be tattooed, body pierced or shaven Participating in drinking contests Drink, exercise or smoke drugs until you pass out Making prank phone calls or harassing others Destroying or vandalizing property Inflicting pain on yourself or others Being tied up or "duct taped" Pressured to disobey family or school rules Being paddled with oars, bread boards or sticks Having pain inflicted in your private parts Being egged or smeared/coated with food items Dressing in any manner which is offensive to gender, ethnic origin, etc.

IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM Others have a responsibility in hazing rituals too! These people could be: Those who willingly participate in being initiated Those in high school who threaten Grade 9's with "you're going to get it when you come to grade 10" A community which thinks hazing is O.K. because "it's been done in the past" Those who watch on as spectators Any individual who thinks hazing rituals are acceptable

1. Know your rights. You don't have to submit to any humiliating or dangerous activity. 2. Refuse to be a victim. There is nothing exciting about being paddled, egged or force fed cat food. 3. Avoid newcomer group activities which are not supervised by a staff member. People will do things in a group that they would never do alone or under the supervision of a teacher. Remember, once the "crowd mentality" takes over, who knows what might happen. 4. Suggest alternative activities. These could be arranged by or suggested to Student Council members, team coaches or other staff members including the administration of the school. 5. Don't be afraid to tell. Go to your coach, vice-principal or another staff member. You have both a right and a responsibility to stand up for yourself and others.

SCHOOL CONSEQUENCES Mandatory: 1-5 Day(s) Suspension Optional: Community Service, Counselling, Restitution, Removal from School