'Slut List' Calls Attention to Prevalence of High School Hazing

By Hugh C. McBride

Recent revelations about the existence of an annual "slut list" at one of the nation's top high schools has brought renewed attention to the prevalence of hazing and bullying in U.S. high schools.

According to a Sept. 18 article by New York Times writer Tina Kelley, for at least the past decade senior girls at New Jersey's prestigious Millburn High School have been creating and distributing a "slut list" consisting of a dozen or more female members of the incoming freshman class.

This year's list, Kelley noted in a Sept. 23 article, contains the names of 23 freshmen girls, along with denigrating comments about each one. Some of the freshmen on the list, Kelley reported, were mocked for their appearance, while others were targeted with homophobic remarks or accusations of deviant sexual proclivities.

In addition to the "slut list," other hazing accusations include freshmen girls being pushed into lockers, having whistles blown in their ears and being forced to wear certain types of clothing on the first day of school.

“Hazing has always been a tradition at Millburn,” one unnamed Millburn senior said in Kelley's Sept. 18 article. “It’s never really a personal attack. As a freshman you get pushed on the first day, and it reinforces the fact that they’re seniors.”

The Prevalence of High School Hazing

The Millburn case demonstrates the fallacies of three common hazing-related misperceptions -- that this type of abuse occurs only on college campuses, that it invariably involves boys or young men, and that it is nothing more than a harmless rite of passage.

According to an Alfred (N.Y.) University study, hazing is a surprisingly commonplace occurrence among high school students, an experience that can result in real and lasting damage:

• Forty-eight percent of high school students who belong to groups reported being subjected to hazing activities.
• Even groups usually considered "safe" haze new members -- for example, 24 percent of students involved in church groups were subjected to hazing activities.
• Seventy-one percent of the students subjected to hazing reported negative consequences, such as being injured; doing poorly in school; having difficulty eating, sleeping or concentrating; or feeling angry, confused, embarrassed or guilty.

Though the Alfred University study revealed that male students are more likely to be exposed to more dangerous types of hazing, researchers noted that both male and female students reported "high levels of hazing."

Both the prevalence and the potential dangers of high school hazing are also addressed on the website StopHazing:

Hazing at the high school level is particularly troubling because the developmental stages of adolescence create a situation in which many students are more vulnerable to peer pressure due to the tremendous need for belonging, making friends and finding approval in one’s peer group. ... While many colleges and universities in the U.S. have instituted anti-hazing policies and educational awareness programs related to hazing, very few secondary schools have done the same.

Hazing is not about harmless traditions or silly antics — hazing is about abuse of power and violation of human dignity. Hazing is a form of abuse and victimization. This is why it is crucial to promote anti-hazing education and support for victims at the middle and high school levels.

An Equal-Opportunity Offense

From "Carrie" to "Gossip Girl," pop culture (at least in its filmed and televised versions) has helped create greater awareness of the existence of female bullying in U.S. schools. But many parents would likely be shocked at the degree to which their daughters are abusing or being abused by their peers.

In addition to the Millburn incident, bullying among girls has made headlines in recent years in connection with the suicides of young girls who were being bullied. For example, in a Sept. 21 article on the British news site Times Online, writer Steve Bird described some of the experiences that preceded the Sept. 16 suicide of 15-year-old Holly Grogan:

One of her friends said that some girls would “gang up” on Holly, and that others posted a series of abusive messages on her Facebook page.

The friend also said that Holly was forced to move schools after the bullying became unbearable. She said: “Holly was nice and had the biggest smile in the world. She always did well at school but the other girls used to pick on her. ...

“Girls used to bully her on Facebook and leave comments on her wall calling her names. ... I heard that the girls who bullied her at her old school told their friends at her new school to bully her as well, and so it just kept on and on."

As both the Millburn and Grogan cases illustrate, bullying among girls commonly occurs in two forms, both of which can have devastating consequences:

• Direct bullying, such as yelling, pushing, shoving, hitting and inflicting other types of physical abuse.
• Relational (or indirect) bullying, which includes spreading rumors and lies, ostracizing or otherwise inflicting harm via social networks (both in the "real world" and online).

In a message that appeared in Millburn High School’s district newsletter -- and which was also e-mailed to parents -- Superintendent Richard Brodow proclaimed that neither type of bullying were acceptable.

"Permit me to state in the clearest way possible that any so called ‘rituals’ which in any way threatens, degrades or makes any youngster feel intimidated or less than whole is a violation of school policy and just plain wrong," Brodow wrote.

Help for Parents

Though Brodow's statement appears to leave no room for bullying or hazing in Millburn schools, various reports have noted that school personnel have been aware of the "slut list" throughout its 10-year existence. Considering that even some teachers may mistakenly believe hazing to be harmless, it is more important for parents to remain proactive regarding their children's involvement with hazing, bullying and other forms of harassment.

If you suspect that your child is being bullied (or that your child is bullying other students), it is important to intervene before the situation worsens. Contact your child's school, speak with relevant teachers and counselors, and (if necessary) make an appointment with a mental health expert who can both address existing psychological damage and lessen the likelihood of further problems.

Bullying affects both the perpetrator and the victim, and without effective intervention the devastation can reverberate for decades. Take the steps you need today to provide your child with the brightest and most hopeful tomorrow.