Re: hazing
Cheryl Singhal (csinghal@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Sun, 14 Sep 1997 11:20:54 -0400
On Sat, 13 Sep 1997, Paul H. Brown wrote:
> If a child's father can't turn him upside down without someone screaming
> "hazing," or "child abuse," heaven help those who teach swimming. Or
> take Venture Scouts on a COPE course. Or whitewater rafting/canoeing.
> Ever teach a child to ride a bicycle? Roller skate?
>
> Physical danger? You betcha! Embarassing? Of course!
I must say that so long as it is the _parent_ doing the turning/holding,
this is more like roughhousing than hazing. Of course there is
the possibility for abuse -- the possibility exists in everything.
Yes, some kids don't like to be upside down and some don't trust their
father, but others don't like outdoor restrooms or uphill hikes, or
rapelling or spelunking, and some of us could probably work up a fair
argument against any of those on the grounds of "hazing" or "abuse."
And there may be a graceful way out for the boys who don't want to be
upside down: make it PERFECTLY clear that *if* they want to be turned
upside down, their parent _must_ be there to do it. That way, if the
boy doesn't want it, he has Mom and/or Dad stay home.
Of course, every situation is different, and I've not been in most of
them, and I DO know how it feels to have something happening to your kid
that you don't quite approve of. (Forgive the prepositional ending)
Cheryl
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
