When kids go off to college, they too often get caught up in behavior they wouldn’t on their own due to peer pressure or just the need to fit in and make friends. Getting involved with drugs and underage drinking are two common examples.
Engaging in hazing can potentially have even more serious consequences. While it often involves the use of illegal drugs and dangerous amounts of alcohol, it can also involve violence.
All of this can lead to criminal charges if someone is harmed or worse. What many people don’t realize is that hazing itself is a crime.
Last year, several University of Alabama students were charged with hazing in two separate incidents captured on surveillance video in a fraternity house. Some of the young men charged with hazing were accused of participating in the actions, which included stepping on pledges, throwing things at them and shoving at least one pledge. Others were charged with hazing because they didn’t report what they witnessed.
How does Alabama law describe hazing?
Alabama law states that hazing involves a “willful action taken or situation created, whether on or off any school, college, university, or other educational premises, which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of any student.” This includes “striking, beating, bruising, or maiming; or seriously offering, threatening, or attempting to…do physical violence to any student….”
The law further states, “No person shall knowingly permit, encourage, aid, or assist any person in committing the offense of hazing, or willfully acquiesce in the commission of such offense, or fail to report promptly his knowledge or any reasonable information within his knowledge of the presence and practice of hazing….”
Hazing is categorized as a Class C misdemeanor in Alabama. However, it’s often accompanied by other charges, including assault and drug and underage alcohol charges, as noted. In cases where someone dies – often as the result of alcohol poisoning or injuries suffered due to forced alcohol consumption – the charges can be more serious.
If your college student is facing hazing and related charges, it may be tempting to let them face the justice system alone. However, they could face long-term consequences to their future. Getting experienced legal guidance as early as possible can help them preserve that future.
