The Hazing Prohibition Act Of 2003: Ethical Dilemma In Sports

Ethical Dilemma(s) This case poses the ethical dilemma of hazing; a dilemma that can be found throughout sports teams at all levels in today’s society. Hazing, as defined by the Hazing Prohibition Act of 2003, is “any assumption of authority by a student whereby another student suffers or is exposed to cruelty, intimidation, humiliation or embarrassment”. Moreover, the term hazing describes the rituals and other activities used as a way of initiating a person into a group that involves performing excessive exercise, committing dangerous activities, or consuming offensive foods and alcohol. In many circumstances, hazing is directed by team leaders, such as captains or seniors. The hazing issues in this particular case surround a girls basketball

It is difficult to believe that the coaches or school officials had no knowledge of these initiation activities as they occurred on campus in the middle of the day. Did the team authorities turn a “blind eye” to the ritual in an attempt to promote team unity? The coaches, team and school are at risk for potential liabilities and lawsuits related to these hazing events and have the obligation to define rules and regulations regarding hazing. Clearly, the team leaders knew that their actions were wrong because they instructed the rookies not to discuss what had happened. This indicated that they wanted to avoid getting into trouble. Julie was caught in the middle as she wanted to be a part of the team but knew that what she and the other girls had been asked to do was improper. The first year players had been taken advantage of in this situation. There are some positive aspects of hazing which cannot be overlooked. Initiation rituals can strengthen team unity if they are done with respect for all team members. As long as responsible adult supervision is part of an initiation and those involved will receive positive benefits, this positive type of hazing can be an important part of team tradition. Initiation rituals should welcome new players in a manner that enables them to feel they are a part of something

Using that idea, this theory would suggest that unless someone is willing to be hazed themselves they should not haze anyone else. The Deontological Theory can be applied in this case by developing a universal principle either supporting a type of initiation ritual that could be seen as reasonable from a moral perspective for all members of the team, or by universally prohibiting hazing that is dangerous and bad for team morale. This theory specifically states that anyone who is honoring or respecting others through a type of initiation ceremony must expect the same if they were to be initiated. It is unlikely that the team leaders who hazed the rookies would have wanted to be stripped naked and paraded in front of boys, thereby humiliating and degrading themselves. The Deontological Theory would not support this type of tradition because no one would want to go through this type of