OHRC takes up Shiv Shankar case
Sunday June 10 2007 12:23 IST
SAMBALPUR: Orissa Human Rights Commission OHRC) has admitted the petition filed by Satyajit Ash.His son Shiv Shankar Ash was thrown off the terrace during ragging by seniors at OUAT, Bhubaneswar resulting in serious spinal and fracture injuries. He is still confined to bed.In its order, the OHRC said it is satisfied with the statements made in the petition and found it a case fit for preliminary inquiry. The Commission has also sought reports from the Principal, OUAT, Bhubaneswar and Khurda SP within four weeks. The order mentions that the case will be taken on receipt of reports from the two authorities or on expiry of four weeks whichever is earlier. Shiv Shankar underwent surgery at Sagar Apollo Hospital, Bangalore.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Orissa (Newindpress Chennai news)- Shiv Shankar case
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Punjab issues directions to check ragging
Punjab issues directions to check ragging
Writing by punjab on Thursday, 7 of June , 2007 at 1:57 am
In Compliance with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Punjab Government has asked the departments of Education, Technical Education and Medical Education to immediately tackle the problem of ragging in the state educational institutions.
Stating this here today, Mr. R.I. Singh, Chief Secretary Punjab said that the Secretaries of these departments, have already been asked to ensure prompt implementation of the Court orders in both letter and spirit. He also urged the officers concerned to constitute anti-ragging committees and squads and closely monitor the functioning of these committees. The Chief Secretary suggested incorporating the relevant provisions of the court directions regarding ragging in the prospectus to be issued for admission by the educational institutions. Subject relating to ragging may also be included in the educational curriculum, he added.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Hazing, cyber-bullying tageted by Eugene school board [KMTR.com]
The board added those offenses to their harassment policy after hearing about hazing incidents between seniors and freshman on high school sports teams.
Dennis Biggerstaff, Churchill High School’s principal, says there have actually been fewer incidents over the past few years, but he thinks the anti-bullying message should still be clear to kids now and in the future.
"Whether it's text messaging, email, MySpace, YouTube, there's all kinds of ways for them to communicate. And sometimes we see interactions between kids that are harmful and not really appropriate," says Biggerstaff.
If a bullying incident affects a student's ability to learn while on campus, such exchanges that happen off campus will now be punishable as well.
Web Conference to Tackle Persistent Hazing on U.S. Campuses [PCToday]
Jun. 7, 2007, 7:07 a.m.
Interested staff members are welcome to attend “Take a Different Approach in Tackling the Problem of Hazing on Your Campus" from 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the PDC, Tiadaghton Room. The Web conference is presented by Magna Publications and sponsored by the Student Activities Office.
Hazing long has troubled college campuses, and higher-education professionals have spent countless hours creating educational programs to combat it. But the time has come to step away from “programming to the problem” and to apply the tools of social science in designing prevention strategies.
This seminar will challenge and empower attendees to think about hazing reduction in a new and innovative way. Participants will receive information to help them use an environmental management approach to risk/harm reduction associated with hazing activities:
New hazing data and concepts
How to apply a social science model to designing prevention and response strategies
How to conduct a four-step evaluation of their current hazing education and mitigation efforts
The presenter, Kimberly Novak, is the director for student and campus community development at Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus. She heads a team that will lead judicial affairs, student affairs risk management and crisis intervention at the new campus.
Registrations are being taken through the Workforce Development & Continuing Education offices at ext. 4775, or from the Professional Development Web site. Employees are reminded to include their college ID when registering
RIT boots men’s rugby team [StarGazette.com]
June 7, 2007
Gannett News Service
HENRIETTA — Rochester Institute of Technology has banned its men’s rugby team for at least five years following an off-campus party last month that sent six students to the hospital with alcohol poisoning.
The women’s rugby club faces its own campus hearing soon and also could face punishment.
“We’re not going to tolerate this type of hazing,” said RIT spokesman Robert Finnerty. “The punishment fits what happened.”
The six members of the men’s and women’s rugby teams were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital after a party that was allegedly part of a rugby club initiation called “Rookie Day.” The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said a party-goer called 911 when one of the players passed out and “turned blue.” All six recovered but some spent time in intensive care.
“Frankly we’re lucky in this case someone called 911,” said Nassau County psychologist Susan Lipkins, author of Preventing Hazing. “Kids die. (Hazing) is so much more common than people believe.”Eight other players on the two teams have been charged with hazing and unlawfully dealing with a child, both misdemeanors.
Those eight have been suspended. Finnerty declined to give any more details, citing federal privacy laws governing schools.
How many students on the two teams are affected is not known.
Hank Nuwer, an assistant professor of journalism at Indiana’s Franklin College and a national expert on collegiate hazing, said RIT’s response was particularly heavy in light of instances around the nation where schools have ignored hazing problems or tragedies. With a 5-year ban, “it gets all the current members out,” he said.
The men’s rugby team can apply for reinstatement in fall 2012, Finnerty said.The rugby teams are club sports and fall under the same rules as RIT’s 163 other clubs. Unlike clubs, members of RIT’s 24 varsity teams face alcohol and drug testing, Finnerty said.
Mother warns others after suspected camp hazing incident [17KGET.com]
Posted By: brynn galindo
g, said parents need to take precautions to make sure their kids don’t become victims, too. A local teenager already faces sexual battery charges in connection with last year’s incident at a Kern County camp.
Michelle Brown said her son is devastated, and so is she.
“Besides one of my kids dying, that is like the worst news that a parent could ever get,” Brown said.
She said her son was harassed and humiliated by a 16- and 17-year-old camp counselor during a week-long summer program at Camp Condor near Pine Mountain.
It started with wrestling.
“The boys, the older boys, the counselors, put their crotches in their face, and made like humping motions,” Brown said. “They said their clothes weren't taken off or anything.”
Brown said it left her son emotionally scarred, and her angry.
She said camp administrators didn’t notify her of what happened, so she sent her son back to camp for a second week.
“It infuriated me because my son was up there around the two boys, because they didn't send them home,” said Brown. “They just put them on maintenance, so my son had to go back up there and see them.”
The camp’s treasurer said she immediately filled out a report and contacted the Sheriff’s Department.
Detectives investigated and eventually the teenage counselor was charged.
“The counselor and counselor-in-training were asked to leave the mountain immediately,” said Camp Condor Treasurer Maryanne Hawkins.
The camp, Hawkins said, does not condone the accused teens' type of behavior.
“In fact, all counselors went through training prior to kids arriving at camp,” Hawkins said.
Brown said she’s pressing for criminal charges for her son’s attackers, or at least counseling.
“Obviously they need help,” she said. “That's not normal to do to a little kid.”
The mother of one of the counselors charged in the case said he’s a good kid who has never been in trouble with the law.
She declined to be interviewed on camera, but said she will fight her son’s charges because the camp knew about and accepted the hazing practices.
That is an allegation the camp adamantly denies.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Teen Faces Hazing Related Charges [kttc]
AUSTIN, MN --
UCF Fraternity Suspended Until 2011 [13 Central Florida News]
Monday, June 04, 2007 4:23:39 PM
A fraternity at the University of Central Florida faces a longer suspension after the university says it violated the terms of it's original suspension.
Pi Kappa Phi was suspended for a year in 2006 after hazing allegations. However, the national director of the Pi Kappa Phi said some students took part in a fraternity event while on suspension.
The UCF Office of Student Conduct extended Pi Kappa Phi's suspension from the university until 2011.
3 Found Guilty In School Hazing [courant.com]
Students Brutalized At Home For Gifted
June 6, 2007
By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY, Courant Staff Writer
MANCHESTER -- Three teenagers accused of brutalizing underclassmen last fall at a Glastonbury home for gifted minority boys accepted a plea agreement Tuesday that will put them in prison for at least nine months.
Jeff Utobor, Silvester Baez and Pedro Reyes each pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of second-degree assault before Judge Raymond Norko in Superior Court in Manchester. No contest means they will not fight the charges, although they don't admit guilt.
At the time of the assaults, the three teenagers from outside the state lived at a home in Glastonbury and attended the local high school through a program called A Better Chance. They were among four upperclassmen accused of abusing three freshmen in the home.
The victims were ordered to do push-ups and to fight each other, police said. The freshmen were slapped, punched, kicked and hit with pingpong paddles, according to an arrest warrant.
On Tuesday, Utobor, Baez and Reyes, neatly dressed with their mothers at their sides, accepted the state's offer of five years in prison, suspended after nine months, followed by five years of probation. Norko may sentence them to up to 24 months active prison time.
Utobor's sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 16. Baez's is scheduled for Aug. 23 and Reyes' for Aug. 28.
A fourth teen, Christopher Lewis, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in March and was given probation. His charges were less serious than those of Utobor, Baez and Reyes. Baez, for example, was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree sexual assault, cruelty to persons and disorderly conduct.
The teenagers are 16 or 17 and are from New York City or Massachusetts. They were participants in A Better Chance, a 32-year-old program that accepts out-of-state boys from cities and offers them a Glastonbury education in hopes they will benefit from career opportunities they otherwise would not have had. Graduates have gone on to careers as doctors, lawyers and engineers, among other things. There are other ABC programs in the state and nation.
The upperclassmen repeatedly abused the three freshmen, the arrest warrant says.
On Sept. 28, one boy was slammed onto a table, ordered to fix it and slammed on it a second time. He yelled for God to help him while being beaten, the warrant says.
Earlier that month, on Sept. 13, the same boy was given a choice between a beating or having a pen stuck in his anus. He later told police that he couldn't take another beating, so he chose the pen.
"Mr. Baez and Mr. Reyes held him down while Mr. Utobor inserted the pen, your Honor," Assistant State's Attorney Lisa Herskowitz told Norko.
Jonathan Russell, president of ABC's board of directors, said in a telephone interview: "It caught us totally by surprise that the boys were doing this. So we're much more wary now.
ABC residents have always been told not to participate in hazing, drinking and doing drugs, he said.Russell said the program, which has a capacity for eight students, currently has two participants.
Gerard Sims, the resident director, is stepping down from that position, although ABC is hoping he'll stay on as a tutor, Russell said. He said the departure doesn't appear to be a result of what happened; it's unusual for people in those positions to stay for more than a few years.
Russell said ABC is doing "everything in our power to ensure that it doesn't happen again." He said he couldn't go into details because the three teens aren't sentenced yet, he wants to respect the privacy rights of minors and the organization faces the possibility of being sued.
"It was a terrible incident," he said. "We're in a rebuilding mode from that. It's going to take a long time."
Students, adults must oppose hazing [The Republican]
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Asoccer player's head is forced into a toilet. A freshman football player is attacked and hit in the stomach until it turns red. A student is forced to drink alcohol until he vomits. These are all forms of hazing, a way a group employs humiliation and danger to initiate new members.
A 2000 Alfred (N.Y.) University study indicates that 48 percent, or 1.5 million students report having been subjected to some type of hazing activity each year. Forty-three percent report that the incident was humiliating; 29 percent participated in a potentially illegal act and 23 percent indicated that the activity involved some form of substance abuse.
Hazing incidents happen because being part of a group is a basic human need. Forming a sense of identity and belonging is a major developmental task for teenagers and adolescents. During the adolescent developmental stage, teens are often in a situation where they are much more vulnerable to peer pressure. They want to make friends and be accepted.
As teens spend less time with adults and more time with their peers, the need for acceptance increases. In addition, because some view hazing as a harmless tradition or kids just having fun, it is often overlooked or dismissed by parents and school authorities.
But most teens don't feel hazing is an issue. Only 14 percent felt that they were hazed, even though 48 percent participated in an activity defined as hazing. They also don't tell an adult for fear of retaliation and harassment and the assumption adults won't do anything about it. The three new football players who were sodomized during a weeklong training camp in Pennsylvania one summer were at first not immediately taken seriously when they reported the incident. They were then intimidated and harassed before officials finally intervened. The attackers were prosecuted, the coaching staff was let go and the football season was canceled as a result of the incident.
Hazing is not a harmless tradition. It is a form of abuse and victimization. Seventy-one percent of the students who were part of a hazing incident reported negative consequences, such as fighting, a decline in school performance, hurting other people, having difficulty eating, sleeping or concentrating and being confused or embarrassed. Thirteen percent of the students reported that they did not join a group because they were afraid of being hazed or left a group because of hazing or both.
Any student is at risk of being a target of hazing, although male students are much more likely. It is estimated that 24 percent of all athletes participate in some type of hazing activity. Students with lower grade point averages are also at a greater risk.
The study also found that 24 percent of students involved in church groups were part of a hazing activity, so even activities that may be viewed as safe or positive can also fall into this category.
It is felt by some that these rituals and traditions can't be curtailed because they are so ingrained into our culture. Respondents to the survey felt that strong disciplinary action would be the most effective way to curb hazing (61 percent), followed by legal prosecution (50 percent), positive, bonding activities (43 percent) and increased awareness (37 percent). To keep kids safe, a clear anti-hazing message, supported by the school and community, needs to be sent. Respondents suggested sharing stories of students involved in hazing incidents similar to the mock car crashes that are done to deter driving under the influence.
Fortunately hazing is not tolerated in any form in our educational system. School systems publish anti-hazing policies in their policy books. Additionally, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, which oversees interscholastic athletics in the state, has taken a strong stand against hazing. All adults involved with athletics are mandated to report such incidents. Failure to do so will result in a fine.
Hazing will continue until victims come forward to report the behavior and school leaders, coaches and adults who run other teen groups adopt a zero-tolerance policy.
While it may seem like fun and harmless kids play, hazing is much more complex. Kids deserve to participate in activities free of teasing, tormenting or hazing. Let's ensure this is the case.
Additional information about hazing and its negative effects can be found at www.alfred.edu/hs_hazing or at www.StopHazing.org Robert Bardwell is a school counselor and director of student support services for the Monson Public Schools. He is the president of the Massachusetts School Counselors Association. He also is an adjunct professor for the school counseling programs at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Springfield College. His column appears monthly during the school year.
RIT Rugby's 'Rookie Day' In Court [NCAA Hazing]
RIT Rugby's 'Rookie Day' In Court
This entry was posted on 6/5/2007 1:00 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
Several members of the RIT Rugby Club appeared in court Tuesday, answering charges from last month's "Rookie Day" party that reportedly left six minors on the team severely intoxicated.
Rochester's RNews has a video report of what the athletes face resulting from the off-campus hazing party.
In other NCAAHazing news...College professor opines about the traditions, and prevention, of athletic hazing.
High schooler facing felony charge for hazing incident... [KXnet.com]
Jun 5 2007 4:42PMAssociated Press
High schooler facing felony charge for hazing incident
AUSTIN, Minn. (AP) A 17-year-old boy faces charges for allegedly helping to haze a high school Hockey teammate.
The teen has been charged in Mower County Juvenile Court with aiding and abetting indecent exposure and fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Prosecutors say he held a teammate down October 26th while another teammate tried to make nonconsensual sexual contact with him.
The 16-year-old male victim told police teammates falsely beckoned him to a room to attend a team meeting after practice.
He says the 17-year-old grabbed him, wrestled him to the floor and held his arms and that a player who was naked then approached and tried to make sexual contact. The boy says he was able to push the player away.
The 17-year-old told police the incident was meant as a joke.
Information from: Post-Bulletin, http://www.postbulletin.com (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 06-05-07 1637CDT
UPDATE: Four Coopersville baseball players
Posted by Chronicle News Service June 04, 2007 22:05PM
COOPERSVILLE -- Four junior varsity baseball players were expelled by the Coopersville school board tonight after a district investigation found they were involved in hazing incidents that included putting their bare rear ends in the face of victims and other "sexual harassment."
Three other students who also were involved in the incidents were handed lesser penalties tonight by the board.
Dating back to April, about 13 incidents were perpetrated by one or more of the four students who were expelled, district officials determined. They hazed and sexually assaulted other members of the team, and on one occasion a member of the freshmen baseball team, district officials found.
A separate criminal investigation by the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department continues.
A school district report, released today, outlines details of the hazing, including restraining students by holding down arms and legs, slapping victims' stomachs to cause the skin to turn pink, applying pressure to the victim's rectal area through their clothes using thumbs or fingers -- on one occasion, a toothbrush was used to apply pressure -- pulling down (perpetrators') pants and putting their rear ends in the face of victims, and using their hands in the victim's genital areas.
For the complete story, return to Mlive.com on Tuesday or pick up a copy of Tuesday's Muskegon Chronicle.
Punjab govt bans ragging in colleges in state [Punjab Newsline]
Punjab Newsline Network
Tuesday, 05 June 2007
CHANDIGARH: Punjab government has decided to completely ban ragging in all professional colleges in the state on the directions of the Supreme Court.
The Punjab Government has asked the departments of Education, Technical Education and Medical Education to immediately tackle the problem of ragging in the state educational institutions.
Stating this here Tuesday, R.I. Singh, Chief Secretary Punjab said that the Secretaries of these departments, have already been asked to ensure prompt implementation of the Court orders in both letter and spirit. He also urged the officers concerned to constitute anti-ragging committees and squads and closely monitor the functioning of these committees. The Chief Secretary suggested incorporating the relevant provisions of the court directions regarding ragging in the prospectus to be issued for admission by the educational institutions. Subject relating to ragging may also be included in the educational curriculum, he added.
Freshies get their first taste of campus life [ Deccan Herald]
By Gayathri L, DH News Service, Bangalore:
For most, college spelt freedom -- from uniforms, from the closed gates they cant get out of till 3 pm, from disciplined assembly lines and from being spoon-fed.
The excitement was palpable as many freshers were thrilled to be out of school, and savouring every bit of the excitement of their very first day in college. As the Ist PU classes began in many of the City’s colleges, Deccan Herald could sense the general exuberance of the ‘freshies’ on day one, while also getting their opinions on issues ranging from dress code to ragging.
For most, college spelt freedom -- from uniforms, from the closed gates they can’t get out of till 3 pm, from disciplined assembly lines and from “being spoon-fed”. The freshies huddled close to familiar faces from school, steered clear of seniors (despite the ‘no ragging’ signs on campus), began forming ‘cliques’ and were generally busy discovering the geography of the college -- the canteen, the library, and the other present and potential hangouts.
At St Joseph’s Pre-University College (SJPUC), the bushy-tailed were already on the prowl. A group of friends -- Shobith, Nithin and Aditya & Co, all from St Joseph’s Boys High School, were indeed ‘thrilled’ to bits. Asked about the dress code, Shobith said: “It’s good to have one, otherwise we’ll have weird punks strutting around here”. On ragging, he proffered this bit of bravado, but in jest: “We will rag the IInd PU guys”, but added on a serious note, “There is no ragging on campus”.
While the majority agreed that college was a whole new world compared with school, a few found their respective colleges no different because of the “stringent norms” in effect.
Saurabh Patawari of SJPUC says: “It’s awesome, we can do what we want in college; in school, we were spoon-fed.” But Anjali B of Christ College has a different take: “We need compulsory 90 per cent attendance to take our exams -- it feels like being in school again.”
On the controversial dress code issue, the students are divided. Some feel the code is necessary for various reasons -- on grounds of decency, “to iron out” economic differences, however superficially, or simply to avoid vulgarity. Others say they couldn't understand the fuss over the code in an all-girls college.
‘If not now, when?’Suhas, an MEBA student of SJPUC, says a dress code will prevent students from sporting ‘indecent clothing’. But Mona of Jyothi Nivas College (JNC) asks, “If we can’t wear what we want now, when can we? There are no boys here, so the code makes no sense.”
Most students are dead set against ragging as it can get out of hand. Some, however, feel ragging is an “initiation ceremony” and, if kept within limits, would be fun. Tushara of JNC, says “within limits, it’s a fun way to get to know the seniors.”
Most freshers feel that as long as cellphones are switched off inside classes, they should be allowed to carry them.
“I know I’d be responsible enough to switch it off in class, as will others,” says Radhika.
While in some colleges cell phone is barred, others only prohibit their use.
RAGGING Toothless verdict [Tehelka.com]
The Supreme Court’s new order stops short of endorsing measures that would have a real impact
Shivam Vij
New Delhi
The Supreme Court’s interim order on ragging has again put the issue of implementation of anti-ragging measures in a limbo, casting doubts over the potential impact on ragging of the 
In 2001, the apex court had acted upon the recommendations of the Unnikrishnan Committee and had recommended that educational institutions that cannot curb ragging may be penalised in terms of funding or affiliation by the affiliating bodies such as the UGC or the aicte. These bodies, however, did not take such measures, not even against at least 15 institutions where students died because of ragging since 2001. Taking note of the deaths, the Supreme Court set up another committee in late 2006 under the chairmanship of former CBI chief RK Raghavan. In view of the inaction of the UGC and the aicte, the Raghavan Committee had submitted 50 recommendations that sought to do away with ambiguities so as to fix clear responsibilities at the school, college, university, affiliating body, district administration, state and central government levels. However, it is unclear whether the Supreme Court’s May 16 order endorses this.
The 2001 order had said that ragging should be dealt with within the institution and the police should be invited into the institution only by the principal. However, the Raghavan Committee noted that principals try to brush complaints of ragging under the carpet. The committee’s recommendation that the institution must file an FIR where the victim or parent is not satisfied, has been endorsed by the court’s new order but it may not have much impact as ragging victims mostly prefer anonymity while complaining. If the head of the institution chooses to ignore an anonymous complaint, there is no way to fix accountability.
Even when FIRs are filed, the committee has observed that there has not been a single conviction in a ragging case. This is primarily because there is often no evidence to prove ragging and eyewitnesses are rarely ready to speak in court. The committee had recommended that the onus of proving that ragging did not take place should be on the accused. The SC order is silent on this, as also on the idea that there be a separate cadre of hostel wardens.
The order assigns to anti-ragging squads within educational institutions the task of ensuring that all ragging-related regulations are implemented, but considering that these squads work within the purview of the head of the institution there is again the issue of external accountability. The order says that the committee “shall continue to monitor the functioning of the anti-ragging committees and the squads to be formed”. Members of the committee are, however, as yet clueless about their role hereafter. The committee had asked that the UGC be told to form a board that would monitor implementation.
The Supreme Court will again take up the case in September and is expected to decide on other recommendations such as the National Assessment and Accreditation Council taking into account the status of ragging while giving educational institutions a rating. Another recommendation of the committee is to begin classes for freshers seven days before that of seniors and the setting up of mentoring cells where seniors would be counsellors to freshers. It also asks for the Indian Penal Code to be amended to include ragging and define it as a criminal offence.
The order endorses the committee’s request for ragging cases to be tried in a fast track court but only as an exhortation, without commenting on the committee’s recommendation that the Criminal Procedure Code be amended to formalise this.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Offensive or downright criminal? [ToI]
4 Jun, 2007 l 0000 hrs ISTlMONA RAMAVAT Times News Network /Epaper
If punishment serves as a deterrent to crime, should offenses like ragging, drunken driving and adultery be dealt with softly?
If the Union Home Ministry has its way, then drunken driving, ragging, drug addiction, adultery and many such offenses might be removed from the ambit of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). At present, these offenses warrant punishments ranging from a year's imprisonment to five years in jail, with fines. The ministry believes that these are "social offenses" , and suggests in its draft policy that such offenders should undergo corrective measures like community participation and heavy fines. Such punitive measures are in effect in Western countries, and are more "cost-efficient and "human rights-friendly" . But is India ready for such a model?
The opinion seems to be split - while some believe it's "futuristic" , others feel that the soft handling of such offenses will not dissuade people from repeating them. Advocate CVL Narsimha Rao says, "Personally, I am opposed to these offenses being removed from the IPC." If somebody can get away with adultery, by just having to 'serve the community' , "it will only increase the incidence of such cases," opines law student, Rakesh Agnihotri. The proposed redefinition of adultery as a "social offense" has been debated the most. According to Section 497 of the IPC, it can attract imprisonment of up to five years, and a fine. However, women are out of the ambit of this punishment . There was a proposal to include women in the section's purview, but the National Commission for Women (NCW) had opposed it. This had triggered a nation-wide debate, as many felt that it was 'discriminatory' . In a bid to do away with the 'discrimination' , the Home Ministry's present draft policy pitches for making adultery a 'social offense' for men and women, alike. But sociology research scholar Subroto Bandopadhyaya, cautions, "A woman might get a raw deal if her husband, indulging in adultery, gets away by just having to work a little extra, or pay a fine." On the other hand, people like real estate consultant Pramod Gandhi feel that taking the 'criminal ' tag off offenses like ragging and drunken driving will "surely help reduce the burden on courts."
The successful implementation of alternative punitive measures like community service, in the West, brings hope that that they will work in India too. "AP is the first state to have proposed community service for minor social offenses," informs additional inspector general of prisons, AP, Dr AR Ahmed. "Sending social offenders to prison is detrimental to the spirit of reform. Once branded as a criminal, a person loses his self-esteem . There are many alternative corrective measures like heavy fines, curtailment of civil rights, restitution and banishment. This entails the offender to work extra hours without charging any remuneration ,"
concludes Ahmed.
hyderabadtimes@indiatimes .com
Sunday, June 3, 2007
With hazing case closed, Fairhaven High School names new football coach [SouthCoastToday.com]
By MIKE ROCHA
Standard-Times correspondent
June 02, 2007 6:00 AM
FAIRHAVEN — When Scott Francis was hired as the Fairhaven High School athletic director last June, one of his goals was to return the struggling football program to prominence. Now the job falls squarely on his shoulders. ......
Mr. Francis, who has been a head girls lacrosse coach and an offensive and defensive coordinator in football, but never a head football coach, replaces Phil Harding, who stewarded the Blue Devils on a 4-7 campaign last year after an ugly chapter that only recently came to a close.
On May 18, Kevin M. Gonsalves Jr. and Dylan J. Parker, both 18, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hazing and a charge of felony assault and battery after an incident last July at Camp Wishbone, an overnight football camp in Bourne attended by players from Fairhaven, Bourne, Falmouth and Bishop Stang high schools.
Two other Fairhaven students, both juveniles, have also been charged, but information about their cases has not been released. Mr. Francis, who had been on the job as AD for less than two months when the hazing incident occurred, said Friday the school will not return to Camp Wishbone this year, and Fairhaven Superintendent Dr. Robert Baldwin said that, while he can't prevent students from attending private overnight camps, he would not encourage it.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, head football coach Chris Foster resigned and Mr. Harding, who is also the school's boys basketball coach, took over on an interim basis. Mr. Harding withdrew his name after taking a promotion to head of the high school and middle school Math Department, making it difficult for him to coach two varsity sports, Mr. Francis said.
Dr. Baldwin, dismissed suggestions that the program should have distanced itself from the hazing incident with an outside hire. The superintendent, who had no input in the hiring process, said he thinks Mr. Francis is the right man for the job. ...
Contact Mike Rocha at
mrocha@s-t.com
UGA needs better foundation from state [Gwinettdailypost.com]
... “The freshman rooms are filled with alcohol and drugs. No one ever checks to find out. Students who have ‘pledged a fraternity’ sleep off the hazing that regularly occurs, sending their grades into the toilet. You should look at the grades of the ‘pledges’ during the fall semester. Despite laws against hazing, cruel and sometimes dangerous initiation rites are regularly practiced. The more mentionable ceremonies include beatings and forced feedings. Officials say there is no money to address the dorm problem. ..."
Ohio schools are standing up to bullies [ChillicotheGazette]
Ross schools have adopted policies to protect students
Staff, wire reports
Bullying, name-calling and hazing have been daily incidents in school hallways and playgrounds since chalkboards were invented.
But instead of turning a blind eye, Ohio schools are trying to stand up to bullies.
Schools across the state are putting policies in place to comply with House Bill 276. The bill, signed into law earlier this year, forced schools to update or create policies to prohibit bullying. Ohio schools must implement procedures for documenting any harassment that is reported and have a disciplining procedure for students harassing others, according to the Ohio Revised Code. In Ross County, many schools already have adopted a new anti-bullying policy. However, some - such as Zane Trace - are waiting for the state-approved policy to ensure the district is in alignment with the state, said Superintendent Carolyn Everidge.
"As administrators, we have reviewed our policy and try to ... address bullying," she said. "We think and we want to train our staff to understand the definition of it."
At Eastern in Pike County, they are awaiting changes, if needed, to current policies from NEOLA - a group that provides the district with any needed policies as well as other policy or by-law information, said Superintendent Charles Shreve.
Although Everidge said the district is looking into different programs, many other districts already are implementing their own.
At Chillicothe City Schools, all buildings have been doing programming in alignment with the district motto, "Chillicothe respect. You have to give it to get it," said Superintendent Roger Crago. The high school also has been doing a mentoring program, pairing freshmen with seniors.
"It's like everything else, though, there's always room for improvement," Crago said.
Dave Warne, Adena superintendent, agreed.
"Each of our principals are working on positive behavior programs. It's an ongoing thing; you're always trying to improve that," he said, adding that each year administrators review what programs have and have not worked during the previous year.
Around the state, others are employing their policies and procedures.
Liberty Union-Thurston schools in Fairfield County defines hazing and bullying and explains the steps that must be taken if harassment or bullying happens.
According to the policy, the superintendent is to provide the board president with a semi-annual written report of all reported incidents of bullying. The report then will be posted on the district's Web site.
Lancaster City Schools is implementing a district-wide anti-bullying program in the 2007-08 school year, according to Tallmadge Elementary School Principal Donna McCance.
The program - which will uses puppets, stories and positive play to teach - will help teach students from preschool through eighth grade skills to build healthy relationships and how to address conflict.
(Jona Ison of The Chillicothe gazetteand Alaina Fahy of The Lancaster Eagle-Gazette contributed to this story.)
School probe of alleged hazing nears end [MLive.com]
Friday, June 01, 2007
By Jane BosThe Grand Rapids Press
COOPERSVILLE -- Part of an investigation into alleged sexual abuse or hazing by members of the Coopersville High School junior varsity baseball team could wrap up as early as today.
Separate investigations were launched by Ottawa County sheriff's officials and school leaders last week after a 15-year-old player allegedly was attacked before practice in the boy's locker room May 18.
On Thursday, Coopersville Superintendent Kevin O'Neill met with High School Principal Ron Veldman and Dean of Students Jim Meerman -- the school's lead investigators -- to discuss how their probe was progressing.
Those findings could be released as soon as today or Monday.
"The investigation is not done yet, and we are not releasing anything until that happens," O'Neill said. "There are some loose ends that we need to tie up first. We need a full written report by (Meerman), and we need to communicate with the parents of the victim and the perpetrators before we release anything."
Meanwhile, sheriff's officials continue to review their criminal investigation with the county prosecutor.
A decision on whether to file charges is not expected until next week, authorities said.
Sources familiar with the investigation said the incident centers on alleged sexual abuse that includes penetration with an object and being slapped by body parts.
The preliminary investigation led to 10-day school suspensions for four of the team's 13 members, and the final week of their season was canceled.
The coach also resigned.
School officials have yet to decide whether anyone will be expelled.
A special one-person school board hearing -- most likely led by board President Tim Postma -- could happen as early as Monday. Students and their parents would be invited to respond to the findings, and the hearing could be closed to the public at their request.
Any recommendation from that hearing could go to the full board as early as its Monday meeting. If not, the next board meeting is June 18.
"The decision of whether or not there is room for expulsion will come with the report, and this will be the recommendation to the board," O'Neill said.
"We also want to make sure it does not happen again. If there is more we can do, then we want to do it."
Locker room changes
Changes already have been made to both the boys' and girls' locker rooms. The locker room doors can be opened for students only by coaches or the school's athletic director.
The students also are supervised while in the locker rooms.
With only the varsity softball team and four members of the boys' track team still competing, there is not much activity there after school.
"We do have some kids stay around after school and lift weights, and no one is unattended in there," said Athletic Director Steve Bennink. "If someone needs to get into the locker room, they need to find me or a coach to get in."
Send e-mail to the author: jbos@grpress.com
Teen faces sexual battery charges for suspected hazing incident [ 17KGET ]
Posted By: brynn galindo
Although the teen was in Juvenile Court to face charges Thursday, the Sheriff’s Department said the hazing happened last year during a program for low-income and at-risk kids.
The counselor-in-training charged in the case was 15 years old at the time he was working at Camp Condor near Frazier Park.
It’s our policy not to name minors involved in anything but extremely serious crimes.
The teen’s family said he is a good kid, who has never been in trouble with the law, but the Sheriff’s Department said the hazing amounted to inappropriate and unwanted contact with campers.
“It's very rare and it's shocking it would happen at a camp where we would assume our juveniles are being cared for properly,” said Sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Komin, “so it does happen, but it's not common.”
The Sheriff’s Department said the majority of the hazing happened in front of several kids last July.
Detectives said most of the kids called it typical camp pranks that went too far.
They said in one case, a 10-year-old victim was held down and the counselor simulated a sex act on him in order to humiliate him.
Family members of the teen charged in the case said the camp knew about the hazing rituals and did nothing about it.
Camp Condor’s Treasurer, Maryanne Hawkins, said that’s not the case.
“No, [the] camp does not condone that type of behavior,” Hawkins said. “In fact, all counselors went through training prior to kids arriving at camp.”
Detectives said they investigated charges that another counselor had inappropriate contact with campers, but said there was not enough witness testimony for the prosecutor to move forward with charges against that teen.
The camp said it no longer allows counselors-in-training to be with campers without an adult present.
UA sets up new hot line for ethics, illegal behavior [Tuscon citizen]
UA sets up new hot line for ethics, illegal behavior
LA MONICA EVERETT-HAYNES
Tucson Citizen
The University of Arizona is setting up an anonymous hot line to take reports of unethical or illegal behavior.
UA will begin its around-the-clock Ethics and Compliance Hotline on July 1. The toll-free number is (886) 364-1098.
In a campus memo this week, UA President Robert N. Shelton said employees, students and visitors can report fraud, hate crimes, waste, abuse and other noncompliance activities.
Reports will be forwarded to the appropriate division and, in special or significant cases, to Shelton's office. Criminal reports go to the University of Arizona Police Department.
The hot line is not for emergencies. UA has several other tip lines for reporting incidents that include hazing, campus crime and hazards.
"The hot line is yet another element and shows sincerity of the university in wanting to know what's going on," said Julius Parker Jr., associate vice president for business affairs.
Teens Charged with Gang Participation, Recruitment [abc7News]
administrators and resource officers at South County Secondary School. Saturday, June 2, 2007
Hazing' under review: 4 JV baseball players suspended; school, police investigating [MLive.com]
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
By JEFFREY CUNNINGHAM
Ottawa County Sheriff's Department investigators and Coopersville school officials said late last week they were still sorting out what actually occurred in a May 18 hazing incident involving members of the Coopersville High School junior varsity baseball team.
What is clear is that four members of the junior varsity baseball team have been suspended from school for 10 days for an alleged assault on one or more players on the team.
The remaining games of the junior varsity baseball team's season have also been cancelled. The coach has resigned, school officials are currently investigating the incident, and a detective with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department has launched a criminal investigation.
A spokesman for the Sheriff's Department said that they expected to turn the case over to the Ottawa County prosecutor by the end of last week for him to file possible assault charges against at least one and possibly more of the players that had been suspended from school.
"All we are able to confirm at this time is that we are investigating the incident, we have suspended four students, and that the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department is also investigating the matter to see if something criminal happened," Superintendent Kevin O'Neill said. "Anything else at this time is speculation and I think that we need to be dealing with facts when we are dealing with students."
The incident in question occurred on May 18 after the team's practice, according to Coopersville athletic director Steve Bennink. The junior varsity team finished practice and the players had gone to the locker room in the high school while first-year Coach Brian Barrett locked up the equipment on the field. "He told me that he came into the locker room five to 10 minutes later and saw a couple of guys wrestling on the floor," Bennink said last Thursday.
When Barrett asked what was going on, they told him nothing and then the players left the locker room, Bennink said he was told.
Later that night Barrett got a call from a parent telling him that the caller's son had been attacked in the locker room before Barrett came in, Bennink said. "He called me right away and we talked about the incident and I immediately called Ron Veldman, the high school principal."
Veldman immediately called the school's community policing officer, he said, who began the investigation as to what actually happened in the locker room. The investigation was turned over to detectives the following Monday.
Bennick said the he met with the coach the next morning to discuss the situation, and at that point told Barrett that he might be suspended as a result of the investigation. "As the season was almost over and he knew that he couldn't coach for us next year, as he will be student teaching, he decided to resign at that point," Bennink said.
O'Neill confirmed school officials are looking into allegations that similar incidents have occurred on more than one occasion during the baseball season and may have occurred earlier during the school year. "We are investigating to find out what happened and if similar incidents happened at other times of the season and year," he said.
Once the investigation is complete and that could be as soon as the end of this week, O'Neill said he will then decide what further actions to take. "It may be that no further action is required or we may decide that some of the actions of the students involved warrant expulsions," O'Neill said.
He said that once the school's investigation is completed, he will take the recommendations to the school board's discipline officer, which, is this case is expected to be board president Tim Postma. At that time, parents and students can request a closed meeting to discuss the actions that have been recommended.
If expulsions are recommended, action will have to be approved by the full school board at the July 18 board meeting, O'Neill said. He added that the school district's investigation is separate from the on-going criminal investigation by the Sheriff's Department.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Lt. Mark Bennett, of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department, confirmed that more than one suspect was under investigation and that it appeared that there had been more than one victim in the alleged assault.
As to how many more persons there may have been involved with the assault, Bennett said that he would not elaborate until the investigation is concluded. "We need to make sure that the incident has been thoroughly investigated before we talk about it," Bennett said. "To do anything else might compromise the investigation and that wouldn't be fair to the victims in the case or anyone else."
Tackling the ragging menace [Central Chronicle]
Does mild ragging exist? It doesn't certainly not in hostels, the most common venues for the most unspeakable ragging crimes.
Bright and excited young students just out of school can hardly wait for the start of the new session when they will enter the 'adult' world of college and university life as they pursue their future academic and vocational dreams. But quite a few of them encounter horror almost on the very first day of entering college in the shape of 'ragging' by seniors. The experience can be so bad that cases of suicide, life-long disabilities and serious psychic disorders are now regularly reported from different parts of the country. Sometimes, the young victim, unable to bear the stress and strain of 'ragging', decides against pursuing studies, even before the classes get underway.
Regrettably, the crudest form of 'ragging' is believed to be rather commonplace in the well-known professional colleges, particularly the medical and engineering colleges. Students in some famous boarding schools learn about 'ragging' at quite a tender age. And 'ragging' is not an exclusive male preserve, as befits a society that wants to empower women.
As in many other matters, the intervention of the Supreme Court has raised hopes that something may finally be done to prevent the disaster that affects many young lives who step into the campus to blossom into educated, bright and confident adults. The Court has accepted most recommendations made by the R.K.Raghavan committee that had gone into the scourge at the behest of the apex court itself. States are now asked the states to deal with the problem very firmly. Registration of first information report is mandatory against erring seniors who 'rag' their juniors in a manner that can be interpreted as criminal in intent. In a people centric activism, the court also ruled that the punishment act as a 'deterrent' to discourage any recurrence.
The mandatory registration of FIR and deterring punishment is something that has many critics, both among students and the academics. But the student community has generally not only hailed Supreme Court's intervention but also supports the harsh punishment the court has advocated for the perpetrators of the more objectionable forms of physical abuses that occur in the name of 'ragging'.
The critics point is that 'ragging' is an old tradition in institutions across the country and its main purpose is to bring the 'fresher' and his or her seniors closer, breaking the seniority barrier, and also to enable the 'fresher' to transform fast into 'adults'. Some have also said that 'ragging' provides some sort of 'motivation' for the victims.
There cannot be any serious objections to 'ragging' to the extent that it erases barriers, helps a 'fresher' shed his or her shyness, and leads to quick assimilation into the campus milieu. A college or a campus is like a big family that the 'fresher' will have to put up with for at least a couple of years, if not more. Getting to know the seniors in this family helps-and sooner the batter.
All this is achievable with the help of what is known as 'mild ragging', something that does not involve any physical torture, sexual perversion and verbal abuses all of which take away the victim's self respect and dignity. Does mild ragging exist? It doesn't certainly not in hostels, the most common venues for the most unspeakable ragging crimes.
Defenders of 'ragging' overlook the fact that it has acquired downright barbaric tones worthy of attention of the otherwise hyper alert human rights activists. In the name of, for instance, breaking the ice, a 'fresher' can be made to do any or all of the following acts: stripping before a crowd of seniors, dancing naked, perform 'natural' and 'unnatural' sexual acts, sing obscene limericks, almost all through the night. In one of the 'milder' forms of 'ragging', the 'fresher' can be asked to become a virtual domestic help of the seniors. The senior has the right to pillage any item belonging to the 'fresher'.
There are instances when 'ragging' goes on for days together, maybe months. Complaining to the authorities entails acts of retribution, which can be even more harsh and inhuman. It would appear that some of the 'third degree' methods associated with the police are actually first rehearsed on campuses. A 'fresher' can be beaten black and blue for defiance or failure to carry out the 'task' given to him. Not surprisingly, many victims of ragging often end up in the intensive care units; some have died and others have committed suicide. In the past six years alone, more than 20 suicides have been reported after 'freshers' parties from different parts of the country.
Whether the Supreme Court intervention results in eliminating the perils of 'ragging' remains to be seen. If the response to Lyngdoh committee recommendations on student union elections is seen as a bench mark, there is room for optimism. Like the Raghavan's, the Lyngdho panel was a creation of the court. Many educational institutions admit that recommendations of the former chief election commissioner have curbed some 'evil' practices like money power in campus polls.
Some doubts persist. The fact is that the obnoxious acts performed or perpetrated in the name of 'ragging' have always been very clearly illegal and unjust, attracting action under penal laws, but were not brought to the attention of law enforcement authorities. And when action was taken, the maximum punishment awarded was expulsion of the delinquent students.
Needless to say such 'action' was either rarely taken or was not in conformity with the enormity of the 'ragging' crime committed. The campus authorities may have restrained from going far with 'action' either due to consideration for the 'future' of the perpetrator or the fear of 'backlash' from the student community.
Educational institutions in the country generally prefer to keep the police as far away as possible. That is very good, but then some affective and lasting ways have to be found to stop the sadist and perverse acts that are part and parcel of 'ragging'.
A 'fresher' needs a friendly welcome, not hostility and bestiality when standing at the threshold of adulthood with a new whole life beckoning him.
Allabaksh, Syndicate Features
Colleges begin crackdown on ragging (Delhi newsline news)
Colleges begin crackdown on ragging
Pallavi Singh
New Delhi, June 1: In line with the Supreme Court’s interim guidelines issued to educational institutions on the basis of the RK Raghavan committee on ragging, most colleges have begun setting up anti-ragging committees.
In a meeting with college principals and the police last week, varsity authorities asked all 79 colleges under the university to take necessary steps to avoid any “unsolicited attempts” by seniors when sessions begin.
While the anti-ragging panels, consisting of teachers, students and hostel wardens, will conduct surprise checks at hostels, canteens and bus stops, colleges like Hansraj and Hindu are planning to install surveillance cameras on campus. A few colleges like Kirori Mal and Ramjas already have cameras on campus. “We will send a proposal to the UGC next week seeking funds,” said Kavita Sharma, Principal, Hindu College.
IP College for Women plans to take a step further. A small squad of teachers and students from the college’s proctorial committee plan to conduct surprise checks in paying guest accommodations.
“The committee will make a list of students living in PGs and visit their landlords. We will also ask them to report any ragging that may take place,” said Manasvini Yogi, publicity incharge at the college.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police have put up posters discouraging ragging at campuses. The number of cops in plain clothes deployed outside colleges has also gone up. “There are 5 policemen deployed outside every college but they have been asked not to enter unless necessary,” said Prof SK Arora, Principal, Hansraj College. Colleges like Kirori Mal have also hired private security guards. Proctor Gurmeet Singh said the varsity ordinances on ragging and indiscipline will be strictly enforced.
“We have already written to all principals asking them to abide by SC and existing university guidelines on ragging. We’ll send another letter in the next few days as an advisory to reiterate what we have said before, which is to activate proctorial boards, volunteers from NCC and NSS and highlight university ordinances on ragging, among others,” Singh said.
Ragging forces student to quit (The Telegraph news)
Ragging forces student to quit
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Agartala, June 1: Torture on a first year student has tarred the reputation of Agartala Medical College. A team of the Medical Council of India is scheduled to visit the college soon.
The landmark judgment by the Supreme Court banning ragging in schools and colleges was of little use for Arijit Sen, a first year student of the college, who had to discontinue his studies. His father Biswabandhu Sen, a senior Congress leader, took away his son’s belongings from the college hostel yesterday.
Sen, a resident of Dharmangar subdivisional town of North Tripura, said his son had been targeted by some second year students who often used to pressure him to bring money. “Even after he informed the principal, no action was taken,” Sen said.
After they came to know about the complaint in March this year, senior students Santanu Das, Benoy Debnath, Rajesh Nath and Niladri Debbarma dragged Arijit to a desolate place and asked him to kneel down. They then used safety pins to pierce his fingers. He was also kicked and beaten up. When Arijit lay unconscious, the four, identified by Arijit’s father, left the spot.
Ever since Arijit checked into room 118 in the new hostel building, he was bullied. “On the very first night, he was beaten up and the seniors demanded that he shell out money. On May 11, he was taken to the roof of a building under construction and again roughed up,” Sen said, adding that they then held him hanging down from a parapet and told that police would believe it to be a case of suicide if they dropped him.
Sen wrote a letter to the principal on May 15 saying his son would not be able to continue studies and took Arijit back home yesterday. He had also brought the matter to the notice of health minister Tapan Chakraborty.
Denying allegations of torture, principal Dilip Chandra Das said: “The boy has a psychological problem and we asked him to stay back.”
“His guardians have not given anything in writing,” Das said. He, however, said that he was taking action against the accused.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Is ragging mere social interaction ? (Times of India news)
Is ragging mere social interaction?
1 Jun, 2007 l 0000 hrs IST l
ANJALI MUTHANNA & PALLAVI BORKAR /TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Colleges are re-opening and this means that it's going to be a pretty nerve-wracking experience for freshers.
It’s that time of year again. Colleges are re-opening and this means that it's going to be a pretty nerve-wracking experience for freshers. It's not just that they're going to be in a new institution and that many will be in a new city altogether ; it's the initiation that they will have to undergo in the form of ragging. And with the Supreme Court saying that ragging is now considered a punishable offence, will that change things for freshers and their college experience? IT'S JUST SOCIAL INTERACTION Many students are of the opinion that ragging, at least in Bangalore, is just harmless fun. When mass communication student Baniaikynmaw Shanpru came to Bangalore to do her MA at Commits, she was apprehensive about the ragging she had to face. "I didn't know what it would be like," she says, "but there was nothing extreme. We had to wear white clothes and we were made to dance. I'd call it an interactive session between the seniors and the juniors." Arlene Kharnongrum, a postgraduate student, who did her undergrad in Jyothi Nivas College says she went through fun ragging there. "I've only done the harmless stuff like singing. That's fine and you get to know your seniors," she says. Joash Benjamin, who will join Christ College in a couple of weeks, says that he's not worried about ragging. "It might happen, but I know my seniors already, so it won't be anything I can't handle," he says. BUT WHAT IF IT'S EXTREME? Others say that ragging is acceptable to a certain extent, but there are times when it can get out of control and that's when limits have to be set. "Ragging can be permitted, but there must be rules on where to draw the line," says management student student Abhishek Gopal. "Seniors should be called before the juniors come and told that this is as far as it can go. If you cross that, you're liable for punishment." he says. Jemima Mohan, who has just passed out from JNC and is going to join Christ College, says that she's worried about the ragging she'll face at her new college because she's seen what her seniors used to do at her previous one. "Juniors would ask for directions to get to a classroom and the seniors would give them the wrong directions. They'd go to a class and there'd be seniors when you opened the door and they'd laugh. That's embarrassing. That's why I feel ragging shouldn't be allowed because it doesn't help you open up to your seniors," she says. IS THE SC RULING JUSTIFIED? Anand Rao, who's a student at a medical college in Bangalore, says he's heard of instances of ragging getting out of hand. "If you're firm about what you will do and what you won't , it's alright. But if the person being ragged is insecure, then it can get out of control. If your seniors ask you to strip completely and you do, comments will be passed and the person being ragged will go home or go back to the hostel weeping," he says. Anand adds that ragging could be supervised, but adds it's not always practical. "So in a sense, it's better to ban it or to pass a law making it a punishable offence, but that might push it underground." Abhishek, however, says the onus should be on the management. "This is not something that needs the SC's intervention. It is, at the most basic level, a way for juniors to get to know their seniors and the management should set certain rules to ensure it doesn't get out of hand," he says. Even John Joseph Kennedy, a lecturer at Christ College, says it's up to the teachers to be alert at the beginning of the year. "The SC should not be brought into this. But teachers have to be alert and must be able to distinguish between casual ragging and more serious forms and then step in accordingly," he says. EXPERTSPEAK Anuradha Prabhudesai, counselling psychologist "The government's move to make ragging a punishable offence was necessary. Ragging is a major fear among most students and is more prevalent in medical schools and engineering colleges, especially in the districts. Such cases are often extreme so such a law should have been passed long ago. Students today are already under so much stress with respect to marks, admissions, curriculum - ragging adds on to the overall pressure. Ragging can cause serious and severe mental damage to a child. It makes it difficult for students to muster up the courage and gain back their self-esteem to continue in college. Ragging is more about humiliation, a strong sense of rejection and fear that students face. People make excuses saying it's another way of making friends but one doesn't need to humiliate the other to be friends."
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