What Are Hazing and Stockholm Syndrome?

Literature Review

Hazing has been a long time issue that dates back to Plato and Martin Luther. There are many forms to the act, and all have been recognized. However, what about the effects that hazing has mentally on these young adults? The question I would like to pose is: How do the effects of hazing compare to Stockholm syndrome? Let us first describe what both hazing and Stockholm syndrome is so that the effects can be better understood.

Hazing is the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation or forcing someone to do humiliating and sometimes dangerous initiation rituals, especially as imposed on college students seeking membership to a fraternity or sorority (Oxford Dictionary. 2014).

Stockholm syndrome refers to a group of psychological symptoms that occur in some persons in a captive or hostage situation. The term takes its name from a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 1973. The robber took four employees of the bank into the vault with him and kept them hostage for 131 hours. After the employees were finally released, they appeared to have formed an illogical emotional bond with their captor; they told reporters that they saw the police as their enemy rather than the bank robber, and that they had positive feelings toward the criminal. The syndrome was first named by Nils Bejerot (Stockholm syndrome. 2014).

The effects that hazing has on young adults however, may not always be as clear as the acts themselves. One study conducted by Caroline Keating, Jason Pomerantz, Stacy Pommer, Samantha Ritt, Lauren Miller, and Julie McCormick entitled “Going to College and Unpacking Hazing: A Functional Approach to Decrypting Initiation Prac...

... middle of paper ...

...oing to College and Unpacking Hazing: A Functional Approach to

Decrypting Initiation Practices Among Undergraduates." Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice 9.2 (2005): 104.

Maxwell, Tracy. "The Hidden Harm of Hazing: Shame. “N.p., N.d., 24 Apr. 2014

Mercuro, Anne, Samantha Merritt, and Amanda Fiumefreddo. "The Effects of Hazing on

Student Self-Esteem: Study of Hazing Practices in Greek Organizations in a State

College." Ramapo Journal of Law & Societ. Ramapo College of New Jersey, 6 Mar. 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

Nuwer, Hank. "Understanding Fraternity Hazing." The Hazing Reader. Bloomington: Indiana

University, 2004. 1-13. Print.

"Stockholm syndrome." TheFreeDictionary.com. Farlex Inc., 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

Turner, James T. "Factors influencing the development of the hostage identification syndrome."

Political Psychology (1985): 705-711.