We were made to lick raw food substances off the floor. We were kicked and hit and shoved. We were tied tightly together and made to run through icy, hilly streets.

If you think the above passage is a piece of courtroom testimony, you're wrong. If you think it's an account of a prisoner of war, wrong again. If you think the paragraph tells the true story of one college freshman's quest to join an on-campus student group, you're right. For Jessica L. (name changed to protect identity), joining a student military organization at a Top 20 East Coast university proved to be an experience she would never forget.

Welcome to the world of initiation, the often secretive process of becoming inducted into a club, team, or social organization.

For the thousands of students each year who become part of a fraternity, sorority, athletic team, marching band, military or other student organization, the initiation process is crucial in establishing the collective dynamic and bonding with your group. But sometimes, it can get out of hand.

StopHazing.org, a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and stopping all forms of initiation abuse, defines hazing as "any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades, or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate." Becoming increasingly more severe than its portrayal in films like "Animal House" or "Dazed and Confused," hazing has leaked into almost every major student organization, from stereotypical Greek "pledge week" rituals to initiation into musical groups. Such activities can encompass a spectrum of acts from simply memorizing a group's mission statement to committing serious crimes.

"The 'recruit,' 'newbie,' 'rookie,' or 'pledge' is typically ushered through a series of debasements in order to ready him for inclusion into the group," says Carol Burke, hazing expert, associate professor at the University of California, Irvine, and author of the book Camp All-American, Hanoi Jane, and the High and Tight: Gender, Folklore, and Changing Military Culture (Beacon Press, 2004). "On college campuses, the combination of the lack of oversight, excessive drinking, and an overeager pledge-master can certainly result in tragedy."

In theory, hazing practices are designed to make the group more cohesive by providing a common problem or experience. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and hypothetically closer to your initiation group.

"I was told, 'It's not easy. You have to want it in your heart - that's the only way you'll make it,'" recalls Michael Kirylik, a current sophomore at American Intercontinental University (AIU, Buckhead, GA). In reality, initiation processes that get out of control often result in severe physical, emotional, and psychological damage. For Michael, "making it" into a fraternity during his freshman year at a large state school (before transferring to AIU) meant getting hit, kicked, and paddled; eating bizarre combinations of food; suffering sleep deprivation; and enduring public humiliation. And that was just week one.

In addition to tolerating the physical pain and emotional humiliation of pledging, Michael was subsequently forced to change schools in order to survive the onslaught of threats as a result of standing up for himself and taking action. The 21-year-old is currently working to make hazing a federal offense in order to prevent acts like this from happening in the future.

"People and relationships are not made better by humiliation or hurt," states Douglas Fierberg, an attorney specializing in hazing cases. "The bonds for some of our strongest, most cherished relationships were not forged by dangerous or humiliating conduct. Examples of this are best friendships, marriage, religious affiliations, and numerous others. These relationships were not made better or stronger by having one party endanger or humiliate the other."

Each year, over 1.5 million students endure hazing rituals. According to the NCAA, four out of every five college athletes are subjected to some form of hazing, up more than 300 percent from a similar study conducted in 1978. Education, awareness, and trusting your instincts are the only effective weapons against hazing. Michael recommends actively investigating an organization before you join, to prevent becoming another statistic.

"Contact the national organization on membership initiation. When you see the flyers on campus, make sure it is an official meeting," he advises. "If you do decide to pledge, talk it over with your parents or relatives so they know what's going on, and make sure you let them know the organization's name."

If an organization is legitimately affiliated with your college or university, you can be sure that it is at least somewhat regulated, and you can find out if hazing incidents have occurred in the past.

For freshmen in particular, consider why you want to join and what the organization has to offer you. Burke goes as far as advising freshmen to defer pledging for a year. "Choose an organization to be a member of out of security rather than insecurity."

Familiarizing yourself with your campus' security department, crisis help center, and the resources here (see below) will give you an idea of what's available in case of emergency.

If you do find yourself in a hazing situation, don't hesitate to speak up - to the organization's national office, to your campus' police department, and to other students. Silence only allows physically and emotionally damaging acts to continue. "The situation forever changed me," says Jessica. "While I will not allow it to define me, it will always be a part of me and thus will never be 'remedied' entirely... Today I am fully living my life, but it happened and nothing will change that."

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