A new BBC investigation is looking into the real-life stories regarding the 'dark-side' of fraternities. (A fraternity is a social organisation at college or university, particularly in the United States).
Frat Boys: Inside America's Fraternities tells the story of Terrance Bennett, a young lad who claims that he almost died during an initiation ceremony back in 2014.
He attended Johnson & Wales University, based in Rhode Island, where he got involved with Tau Kappa Epsilon, an international, all-male group.
According to the complaint he filed back in April 2015, the fraternity brothers restrained and branded him, urinated on him, extinguished cigarettes on his skin, deprived him of sleep, threw eggs and rotten food at him, and forced him to exercise, binge drink, and eat raw onions and sticks of butter until he vomited.
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In the documentary he explained that he was forced into the 'hostage position' where he was blindfolded, lain on the floor and had his hands put behind his head. He explains: "As it progresses you start to lose pieces of clothing.
"I got a beating so bad and there's broken glass on the floor and sludge and rocks and dirt and you're all scratched up and I remember I was lying on that floor and I didn't think I was going to make it."
He was hit with boat paddles until his skin split open. He continues: "They'd split my skin open, the blood had pooled, became infected, my liver had started to shut down. They told me I came really close [to dying]."
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Credit: BBC
According to the BBC, 23 students have died within the last eight years as a direct result of initiation (hazing) ceremonies and 'challenges'.
The investigation also shows leaked footage from some initiation ceremonies where students can be seen taking beatings, being forced to drink alcohol and even being branded on their skin.
The documentary will be shown on BBC2 on Thursday.
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Words by Mel Ramsay
Featured image credit: BBC
Featured Image Credit:Topics: student, University