When does becoming part of the team go too far? For decades, young men and women endured degrading and dangerous rituals in order to join sororities and fraternities while college administrators blindly accepted their consequences. In recent years, these practices have spilled over into the mainstream, polluting military organizations, sports teams, and even secondary schools. In Destroying Young Lives: Hazing in Schools and the Military, Hank Nuwer assembles an extraordinary cast of analysts to catalog the evolution of this dangerous practice, from the first hazing death at Cornell University in 1863 to present day tragedies. This hard-hitting compilation addresses the numerous, significant, and often overlooked impacts of hazing, including including sexual exploitation, mental distress, depression, and even suicide. Destroying Young Lives is a compelling look at how universities, the military, and other social groups can learn from past mistakes and protect their members going forward.

When does becoming part of the team go too far? For decades, young men and women endured degrading and dangerous rituals in order to join sororities and fraternities while college administrators blindly accepted their consequences. In recent years, these practices have spilled over into the mainstream, polluting military organizations, sports teams, and even secondary schools. In Destroying Young Lives: Hazing in Schools and the Military, Hank Nuwer assembles an extraordinary cast of analysts to catalog the evolution of this dangerous practice, from the first hazing death at Cornell University in 1863 to present day tragedies. This hard-hitting compilation addresses the numerous, significant, and often overlooked impacts of hazing, including including sexual exploitation, mental distress, depression, and even suicide. Destroying Young Lives is a compelling look at how universities, the military, and other social groups can learn from past mistakes and protect their members going forward.

Despite numerous highly publicized incidents and widespread calls for reform, hazing continues to plague many of the nation s institutions. In this volume, noted hazing researcher Hank Nuwer presents 15 classic or never-before-published essays that can help all of us, parent and professional alike, better understand the culture of hazing. The collection, which includes contributions from such experts as Michael Gordon, Walter Kimbrough, Stephen Sweet, and Lionel Tiger, looks at hazing behavior in fraternal organizations (including sororities and traditionally black fraternities), high school, the military, and sports. There are also chapters on hazing and the law, hazing injuries, and hazing and gender. Lastly, the book lays out steps for transforming a culture of hazing and offers suggestions for further reading."

"A grim... expose by hazing expert Nuwer of the continuing yet largely unacknowledged crisis of death and injury among fraternity and sorority pledges.... F]or its sustained examination of these rarely questioned traditions, Nuwer s work is invaluable." Kirkus Reviews

What forces young men and women to accept inhuman and degrading rituals in order to belong to a social club, sorority, or fraternity? Why do college administrators and Greek fraternities and sororities continue to allow practices that risk death or permanent psychological damage? Hank Nuwer confronts these questions in this hard-hitting, heartfelt look at the dark side of college fraternal life, newly updated for this paperback edition. Nuwer takes a broad look at the problem, examining its fundamental legal and historical roots and describing many instances of abuse and criminal behavior. A moving chronology lists the names of students who have died as a result of hazing activities in the U.S. from 1838 to 2001. The book concludes with Nuwer s recommendations for reform."