Most everyone is now familiar with the violent and despicable school hazing incident which occurred in suburban Chicago on May 4. During this bizarre ritual, teenage girls (allegedly) literally beat up on their classmates--and even stuffed feces and animal entrails into their victims' mouths. Five of the victims had to be taken to area hospitals. This was all caught on videotape. These vile acts were bad enough, but the reaction of the victimizers and their parents is even more nauseating.

When faced with possible punishment for their actions, some of the high school senior girls who committed these acts and their parents pulled--what else--the victimization card. One of the girls caught on videotape picking on her classmates was suspended from school. Did she accept responsibility for her actions? Did her parents want to see her punished? No, they got a lawyer and filed a lawsuit. Their lawyer so eloquently stated:

You are entitled to an education so when someone takes that right from you without giving you due process, they have violated (your) due process rights.

Oh, poor suburban upper middle-class baby. She stuffs feces in some younger girl's mouth and she's the one being persecuted? Her rights are being violated? What about the victims? One girl needed 10 stitches for the abuse she took. Another suffered bruises from being shot with a paint gun. Once again I ask, "Is this an Orwellian nightmare?" It seems some people live in an upside-down world in which victims are victimizers and victimizers are victims.

Not only have some of the alleged victimizers retained lawyers, but authorities suspect that several parents supplied alcohol for this "event." And some in the school's community seem to even be hindering the ongoing investigation. According to Cook County prosecutor Richard Devine:

There is a tremendous lack of information coming forward from the people of the community about who did supply the alcohol. When everybody you talk (with) says they have a lawyer and don't want to talk to you, there's an issue.

One Cook County judge had the guts to refuse a legal motion challenging one of the alleged victimizers' suspensions. Judge Nowicki refused to be part of "undermining the authority of the school board." Good for her. Cook County authorities also filed criminal charges against the alleged hazing perpetrators. But don't celebrate yet.

Just today, Glenbrook North High School officials offered perpetrators a "deal." The officials say they'll let the seniors (victimizers) graduate if they perform community service, attend counseling, don't legally fight expulsion, and don't try to profit from the incident with movie or book deals.

Why did school officials offer this deal? How can we discourage such lawlessness if we don't punish those who commit such acts? It is beyond me. I'm usually not one to indulge in psycho-babble, but I think author Rosalind Wiseman may be hitting on something when she explained the hazing incident. Wiseman expressed what was going through the senior girls' minds as they abused the younger girls:

You get to be like us if you denigrate yourself, humiliate yourself, if we put you down. Then the reward is, you get to become like us.

Drag others down. Torture them. And then try to get off easy when caught. Right? As long as people are stuck in this perverse culture of victimizing and then claiming victimization, they'll never evolve. True dignity, personal growth, and a better world will only grow out of people taking responsibility for their own actions.